Buffy the Alternative Series
by EssexLad1975
Summary: New - 23102003 Chapter 3 Part 2. Buffy and her friends attempt to uncover evidence to prove Cordelia's innocence, but could it be too late?
1. Split Second Choices

Split Second Choices by Andy Johnson  
  
Author's Note: So, I was sitting here watching the second season of Buffy on DVD and I wondered, what if the path of one of the Scooby's took a severe divergent path which would change the entire plot to that season. This is a re-working of the Season 2 Buffy episode "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" which was written by Marti Noxon and Directed by James A. Contner, so if you see any similarities (and there are a lot) it's because it's a direct transcript - BUT ONLY AT FIRST. Possibly the first in a several part-er.  
  
Feedback: Yes please ... the more, the merrier  
  
Spoilers: Buffy Season 2, Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered  
  
Distribution: Email me and it's all yours *S* .....  
  
~~~~~ Teaser ~~~~~  
  
"In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."  
  
It was night time and Xander had decided to join Buffy on her patrol. He wanted to go with her specifically to talk with Buffy about Valentine's which was fast approaching, and as a surprise he'd decided to get Cordelia, his girlfriend a little gift to show just how much he'd loved her.  
  
"So, what do you think?" Xander asked as he pulled out a little heart- shaped necklace and showed it to Buffy.  
  
Deciding to take a break, Buffy stopped walking and sat back against a headstone to take a look at what Xander was holding in the air.  
  
"It's nice." she replied.  
  
Xander approaches Buffy, still dangling the locket in the air. "Yeah, but do you think Cordelia will like it?"  
  
"I don't know." She says as she pulled it towards herself with her hand to take a closer look at it. "Does she know what one of these is?"  
  
Xander took back the necklace and placed it back into his pocket. "Okay, big yuks." he commented with a slight chuckle. "When are you guys gonna stop making fun of me for dating Cordelia?"  
  
"I'm sorry." Buffy apologised. "But never. I just think you could find somebody more .. better."  
  
"Uh, in a parallel universe, maybe." Xander said as he started looking around the graveyard. "Here the only other person I'm interested in is, um ... unavailable. Besides, Cordy and I are really getting along. We're not fighting as much, and yesterday we just sat together, not even speakin'. You know, just, uh, enjoying comfortable silence." His mind skipped back and remembered that experience he'd shared that night and softly laughed. "Man, that was dull."  
  
Seeing that made Buffy smile. "I'm glad that you guys are getting along, almost really. And don't stress over the gift."  
  
"Well, this is new territory for me. I mean, my valentines are usually met with heartfelt restraining orders."  
  
"She'll love it." Buffy said reassuringly.  
  
"I wish dating was like slaying you know, simple, direct, stake to the heart, no muss, no fuss."  
  
Xander turned to face her again just as the vampire they were looking for began to crawl from it's grave. Xander reacted quickly and jerked back as the newly risen demon came for him, but he tripped and fell backward onto his butt.  
  
Buffy hopped off of the gravestone and grabbed the vampire from behind as he was about to grab Xander and throw him away. He hit the ground hard. His momentum carried him into a reverse somersault, and he rolled to his feet. He darted towards Buffy and she leapt at him, performing a double kick to his chest with both feet in rapid succession and landed upright again as the Vampire staggered back into the corner column of a small mausoleum. Buffy approached him, but the Vampire was ready and blocked her first two punches and ducked a third. Buffy's fourth and fifth punches, however, connected, but the Vamp isn't fazed in the slightest. He pushed her to one side into a nearby wall of the mausoleum, and after he regained his balance came at her again. She slid down the wall and kicked out with her leg, making him trip and spin down to the ground. As he got up she leapt at him with a high kick and knocked him back down once again. Buffy reached into her jacket for a stake, and when the Vampire stood back up again and tried to make a grab for her she deftly plunged it into his chest. He immediately bursts into a cloud of ashes.  
  
Buffy yanked the stake back and watches with satisfaction as the ash rains to the ground. Then she headed over to Xander and gave him a hand back up to his feet.  
  
"Sorry to say, Xand," Buffy said brushing some dirt off his clothing, "slaying is a tad more perilous than dating."  
  
"Well, you're obviously not dating Cordelia." Xander replied as they both started to walk out of the cemetery.  
  
~~~~~ Part 1 ~~~~~  
  
It was the next morning outside Sunnydale High School as Cordelia walked towards the steps from the street. As she got nearer she saw her friends, Harmony and the other 'Cordettes' who were sitting on a wall and decided to head over to them. When they saw her coming they all stood up and made their way towards the main entrance, ignoring her. They'd been ignoring her ever since she started dating Xander as they all thought that he was so un-cool. Especially as he was friends with people like Willow and Buffy.  
  
"Wait up. Hey, wait up!" Cordelia called out. "Excuse me! Where's the fire sale?"  
  
Harmony and the others stopped walking just in front of the entrance and looked around at Cordelia.  
  
"Oh sorry, didn't see you." Cordelia lied.  
  
"Well, why didn't you call me back last night?" Cordelia asked. "We need to talk about our outfits for the dance. I'm gonna wear red and black, so Kate, you need to switch."  
  
"Red and black? Is that what Xander likes?" Kate asked.  
  
"Xander? What does he have to do with this?" Cordelia asked confused.  
  
"Well, a girl wants to look good for her geek." Harmony mocked.  
  
"Xander's just..."  
  
Harmony didn't wanna hang around her much longer and so decided to cut her off, mid conversation. "When are you two gonna start wearing cute little matching outfits? Because I'm planning to vomit." Harmony looked around to the rest of the group. "Let's go."  
  
They all turn away and head into the building, leaving Cordelia behind on her own. Cordelia desperately wanted to be apart of the 'in-crowd' again, but at the same time she desperately wanted to be with Xander. Was she in love with him? Or was it simply because Xander was the only one who never backed down from her cold bitch attitude.  
  
~ American Literature, Later That Day ~  
  
"Papers on my desk." Mrs. Beakman the teacher announced at the end of their test. "Anybody tries to leave without giving me a paper is looking at a failing grade."  
  
Xander was sitting at the back of his row two seats behind Willow and Buffy was sitting on Willow's right.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha. This time I'm ready for you." Xander said to himself holding the paper aloft. "No 'F' for Xander today. No, this baby's my ticket to a sweet D-minus." He stood up with his paper in his hands, the two girls do the same. Willow stepped down the aisle and stopped next to Amy.  
  
"Hey, Amy." Willow said.  
  
"Hey." Amy replied putting her backpack on. "Are you guys going to the Valentine's Day dance at the Bronze? I think it's gonna be a lot of fun."  
  
Willow turned back to look at Buffy with a huge smile on her face.  
  
"Go ahead." Buffy said returning the smile. "You know you wanna say it."  
  
Willow faced Amy again, grinning broadly. "My boyfriend's in the band!"  
  
"Cool." Amy said smiling  
  
"I think you've now told everybody." Buffy joked.  
  
"Only in this hemisphere." Willow joked in return.  
  
"What about you?" Amy asked Buffy  
  
"Oh, Valentine's Day is just a cheap gimmick to sell cards and chocolate."  
  
"Bad break-up, huh?"  
  
"Believe me when I say, 'uh-huh'."  
  
They all carry on walking to the front of the class and hand their papers to Mrs. Beakman.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Buffy walked out of the room as Willow hands in her paper as well. Xander slowly made his way down the aisle behind Amy.  
  
"Thank you." Mrs. Beakman said as Willow handed her paper in.  
  
Willow quickly followed Buffy out. Amy stood in front of Mrs. Beakman and stared her down. There was a long silence as Amy concentrated on staring into the teacher's eyes. Xander, stood behind Amy wondering what was going on, and slowly losing his smile as he realised what was going on.  
  
A moment later Mrs. Beakman smiled at Amy and gestured as though she was accepting a paper from her.  
  
"Thank you, Amy."  
  
Amy smiled in turn and walks out of the classroom. Xander approached the desk staring open-mouthed after Amy and handed his paper in as well.  
  
"I just hate to think of you solo on Valentine's Day." Willow said as she and Buffy walk down the stairs. As they did, Amy hopped past them with a smile on her face and headed off towards the lounge area. They reached the bottom and the two of them headed down the hall. Xander reached the bottom of the stairs shortly behind them and followed as he watched Amy go off in the opposite direction.  
  
"I'll be fine." Buffy replied. "Mom and I are gonna have a pig-out and vid fest. It's a time-honored tradition among the loveless."  
  
"Did you guys see that?" Xander said to Willow and Buffy as he caught up with them.  
  
"See what?" Buffy asked.  
  
"In class. I think Amy just worked some magic on Ms. Beakman."  
  
"You mean like witchcraft?"  
  
"You know, her mom's a witch." Willow commented.  
  
"And an amateur psycho." Buffy added. "Amy's the last person that should be messing with that stuff."  
  
"Maybe I should go talk to her." Xander wondered.  
  
"Buffy!" Giles called out as he saw the three of them head in his general direction. "Buffy... Might I have a word?"  
  
"Have a sentence, even." Buffy replied as they stopped in front of him  
  
"Oh. Good. Well, uh..." Giles looked up from his downward glance as he could vaguely hear Jenny talking to someone.  
  
"Back it up before you leave." Jenny said to a student as she appeared from the Computer Science room.  
  
She stepped into the hallway and stopped. She and Giles what might be called a strained exchange with each other.  
  
Buffy unable not to notice the exchange looked down sadly.  
  
Jenny in an attempt at conversation smiled thinly at Giles. "Rupert."  
  
"Ms. Calendar." Giles said throwing his glance downwards again.  
  
"I'm glad we ran into each other, actually." Jenny said a little nervous. "I was hoping that we could, uh ... Do you have a minute?"  
  
"Um..." Giles said wondering how he could get out of it. "Actually, not, not just now. Um, I, uh, have a matter to discuss with, with Buffy."  
  
"Right." Buffy commented calmly. "Let's go."  
  
Buffy gave Jenny a quick glance and stood between her and Giles, before heading for the Library. Xander and Willow watched on in silence. Giles looked up at Jenny for a moment, then slowly turned to follow Buffy leaving Willow and Xander standing in the hallway and a broken-hearted Jenny.  
  
Jenny dropped her arms in despair. She threw a look at Xander and Willow, before walking down the hall the other way.  
  
~ School Library, A Few Minutes Later ~  
  
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked a pacing Giles from her position of sitting with her chin resting on her knees up on top of the table.  
  
Giles stopped pacing momentarily and looked at his Slayer. "Me? I-I-I'll be fine." Giles lightly scratched his nose and carried on walking. "Um, I was more concerned about you, actually. Uh, since Angel, um... uh... turned... I've, um, been reading up on, on his earlier activities. You know, uh, feeding patterns a-and the like."  
  
"And?" Buffy asked looking at Giles.  
  
"Around Valentine's Day, he, he, he's rather prone to, uh... well, um, brutal displays of, uh... He would think of it as affection, I suppose."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"No, no, uh," Giles said standing up, "no need to go into details."  
  
"That bad?"  
  
"Suffice it to say I, I think it would be best if you stayed off the streets for a few nights. I-I-I'll, um ... I'll patrol and keep an eye on things. Better safe than sorry."  
  
Buffy looked over at Giles a little sadly. "It's a little late for both."  
  
~ The Bronze, That Night ~  
  
Everyone was there that night at the Bronze for their Valentine's dance. Willow was staring into space as her boyfriend, Oz, played on stage with the rest of the band 'Dingoes Ate My Baby'. Next to her sat Xander who was nervously playing with a small box that had the necklace that was for Cordelia.  
  
Feeling I've been lost for years  
  
Oz smiled over at Willow and then looked down at his guitar.  
  
You can never understand me Unless you've seen those tears But you never get to sleep  
  
Willow looked up at Oz and smiled. Oz smiled back as he played.  
  
When I'm away I don't mind The deeper..  
  
"Oz has his cool hair today." Willow said to Xander with a big smile on her face.  
  
.. that you lay  
  
"I think I'm a groupie!"  
  
Out of time  
  
The Restroom door opened and Cordelia walked, she was looking for her friends.  
  
Pain, I can't sleep  
  
She found the 'Cordettes' and quickly made a bee-line towards them.  
  
"Oh, hey!" she said smiling.  
  
Seeing Cordelia, they looked at each other then at her before quickly moving away as fast as they could.  
  
Pain, I can't sleep  
  
"Let's get outta here." Harmony muttered.  
  
Cordelia just stood there and watched them go.  
  
Running ..  
  
Everyone was there, except for Buffy.  
  
She and her mother are were lounging back on their couch watching television. In front of them both was coffee table full of plates of cookies, cheese puffs and other snacks and Buffy had a bowl of popcorn in her lap.  
  
A knock at the door suddenly interrupts their vid-fest. Buffy gave look at her mom as if to say 'can we ignore it', but instead exhaled and handed her the popcorn.  
  
"Here." Buffy said.  
  
Joyce started munching on the popcorn as Buffy walked over to answer the door. Buffy opened it and looked out, there was nobody out there. 'Great' she thought to herself, 'get a life whoever you are'. Buffy closed the door and walked back to the movie-fest, but her mum had vanished  
  
"Mom?" Buffy called. She walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. "Mum?"  
  
Buffy looked out the window when she heard a noise, but the blackness of the night stopped her from seeing anything. She looked back into the dining room wondering where her mum her gone, so she didn't notice her step in through the back door.  
  
"Buffy, it's me." Joyce said, calming the Slayer down who had jump out of her skin.  
  
"Yeah. You just startled me a little."  
  
"I was just checking the back door." Joyce said as she locked up the door again. "Somebody, um, left these for you."  
  
Joyce laid a long box on the kitchen table. It was completely black, the only other piece of colour was that of a piece of red ribbon tied around it. Buffy slowly reached for the box and took off the lid. Inside laid a single red rose with a note attached that had one word hand-written on it. It said 'Soon'.  
  
Pain, I can't sleep Pain, I can't sleep  
  
Back at the Bronze, Xander looked around from his table when he spotted Cordelia sitting alone at another table.  
  
Pain, I can't sleep  
  
He slowly stood and walked over to Cordelia, who when seeing him also stood and walked towards him.  
  
"Hey." Xander said.  
  
Cordelia was speechless. For a change Xander was dressed not in his usual style of bright clothing, but very suave and smooth. "Your clothes... You look so good."  
  
"Oh. I let Buffy dress me. Well, not physically."  
  
"Perfect." Cordelia said, actually a little upset that Xander has made an effort for her. "You had to make this harder, didn't you?"  
  
"Okay, clearly the fact that I please you visually has got us off on the wrong foot here."  
  
"Xander..." Cordelia began.  
  
"Let me finish." Xander interrupted. "I've been thinking a lot about us lately... the why and the wherefore. You know, once, twice, a kissy here, a kissy there. And you can chalk it all up to hormones. A-and maybe that's all we have here. Tawdry teen lust. But maybe not. Maybe something in you sees something special inside me. And vice versa. I mean, I think I do. See something. So..."  
  
Xander knew he had contracted Willow's babble-speech and so decided on that moment to pull out Cordelia's gift and hand it to her.  
  
"Xander..." Cordelia said as she opened the box. "Thank you. It's beautiful."  
  
'You definitely had to make this harder' Cordelia thought. "I wanna break up."  
  
This time it was Xander who was speechless. "Okay, not quite the reaction I was looking for."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry." Cordelia said softly. "It's just... Who are we kidding? Even if parts of us do see specialness, we don't fit."  
  
Hearing that, it was as if Xander got struck in the gut. "Yeah! Okay..." he said getting more and more upset by the second. "Do you know what's a good day to break up with somebody? Any day besides Valentine's Day! I mean, what, were you running low on dramatic irony?  
  
"I know." Cordelia said, genuinely sorry "I didn't mean to do it this way. I..."  
  
"Well, you did." Xander said suddenly interrupting her.  
  
Cordelia could do nothing except give Xander an apologetic look. Xander looked into her eyes for a couple of moments before turning around and walking away leaving Cordelia alone with the pendant.  
  
~ Sunnydale High, Next Morning ~  
  
Xander came moping around a corner.  
  
They say that news travels at warp speed, and Xander definitely agreed with that comment as it seemed everyone knew.  
  
"Dude." a student said patting Xander's shoulder "Way to get dumped."  
  
Xander took no notice, he wasn't the first wise-cracker that morning and he would be the last. Looking up he saw Buffy coming quickly from the other way.  
  
"Ooo, Buffy, my bud, you will not believe..."  
  
"Can't talk right now." Buffy replied quickly. "Angel."  
  
"Do you need help?" Xander asked.  
  
"It's alright."  
  
Buffy quickly resumed her rapid trek to the library leaving Xander on his own. As he continued down the hall a group of girls passed around him, who at the sight of him starting laughing and giggling. He exhaled softly and watche them go. A few steps further along he heard Harmony talking.  
  
"Gee, Xander," Harmony joked, "maybe you should learn a second language so that even more girls can reject you."  
  
She and the other girls around her laughed to his face. Xander just kept moping along in silence not knowing what to do. There was no escape from his embarrassment.  
  
A moment later he noticed Amy heading toward the stairs in front of him, and it was then a plan formed in his mind. He knew what to do, and how he was going to do it.  
  
"What are you doing?" Amy said suddenly as Xander grabbed hold of her.  
  
"Amy. Good to see you. You're a witch."  
  
"No, I'm not." Amy said quickly as she looked around the corridor. "That, that was my mum, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm thinking it runs in the family. I saw you working that mojo on Ms. Beakman. Maybe I should go tell somebody about..."  
  
"That's not even..." Amy said angrily. "That is so mean!"  
  
"Blackmail is such an ugly word." Xander said calmly not taking his eyes from Amy.  
  
"I didn't say blackmail."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm about to blackmail you, so I thought I'd bring it up."  
  
"What do you want?" Amy asked folding her arms across her chest.  
  
"What do I want?" Xander repeated with a chuckle. "I want some respect around here. I want, for once, to come out ahead. I want the Hellmouth to be working for me. You and me, Amy... we're gonna cast a little spell."  
  
Amy looked past Xander at Cordelia, and then turned her eyebrows up at him.  
  
~~~~~ Part 2 ~~~~~  
  
Amy and Xander walk into the nearest empty classroom so he could continue his conversation with Amy more privately.  
  
"A love spell?" Amy said completely surprised at even the thought.  
  
"Yeah." Xander replied. "You know, just the basic can't eat, can't sleep, can't breathe anything but little old moi."  
  
"Well," Amy said trying to get out of performing the spell, "that kind of thing is the hardest! I mean, to make someone love you for all eternity?"  
  
"Whoa! Whoa, back up." Xander said slaking his hands wildly in the air. "Who said anything about eternity? A man can only talk self-tanning lotion for so long before his head explodes."  
  
"Well, then I don't get it. If you don't wanna be with her forever, then what's the point?"  
  
"The point is I want her to want me. Desperately. So I can break up with her and subject her to the same hell she's been puttin' me through."  
  
Amy turned around and took a few steps back. "Oh, I don't know, Xander. Intent has to be pure with love spells."  
  
"Right." Xander agrees. "I intend revenge. Pure as the driven snow. Now, are you gonna play, or do we need to have another chat about invisible homework?"  
  
Amy spent a few moments thinking about it. "I'll need something of hers. A personal object."  
  
"Alright." Xander said and left the classroom.  
  
Giles sat as always in the Library reading a book when Buffy came striding in and up to the table. Giles didn't notice her arrival until she slapped the card that she got with her flowers on the page that she was reading.  
  
"'Soon' what, Giles?" Buffy asked. "You never held out on me until the big, bad thing in the dark became my ex-honey."  
  
Giles stopped what he was doing and stared at the card with fascination. "Where did this come from?"  
  
"He said it with flowers." Buffy answered. "Look, this isn't the time to start becoming Mr. Protective Guy. I can't just hang around, and I can't prepare when I don't know what's coming."  
  
Giles sat up and looked at Buffy straight in her eyes, she deserved the truth and he knew it. "N-no, of-of course, you're right. Uh, s-s-sit, sit down."  
  
Outside the corridor Cordelia was walking to class when she ran straight into Xander who was waiting for her. As she spotted him, she changed direction in an attempt to avoid him, but he soon caught up with her.  
  
"Oh, come on, don't flatter yourself. I'm not gonna make a big scene." Xander said, "I just want the necklace back."  
  
"What?" Cordelia said in disbelief. "I thought it was a gift."  
  
"No. Last night it was a gift. Today it's scrap metal. Figure I can melt it down and sell it for fillings or something."  
  
"You're pathetic!"  
  
"Come on, I'm not gonna add to the Cordelia Chase castoff collection."  
  
Cordelia shot Xander an evil glare. In her heart he was totally wrong for her, but she still felt that something, was it love? "It's in my locker."  
  
"I can wait." Xander simply said.  
  
Cordelia gave Xander another glare then walked over to her locker. From where he stood, Xander could see Cordelia checking her combination and opening the locker door blocking his view of her face.  
  
Cordy reached around her neck and unclasped the pendant that Xander had given her the night before. She so didn't want to give it back, it was the only thing she had that reminded her of Xander that Harmony and the rest of the group didn't know about. She slammed the locker door closed and walked back to Xander.  
  
"Here." she said handing back the pendant. "It's a good thing we broke up. Now I don't have to pretend I like it."  
  
Xander didn't say anything. He just gave her one final look and left.  
  
~ Sunnydale High, That Night ~  
  
Back at the Science Lab, Xander sat bare-chested on the floor in he middle of a painted symbol and holding a large candle. Near him stood Amy who was looking over a mixture bubbling over a Bunsen burner and above it she held the pendant Xander had taken from Cordelia.  
  
"Diana... Goddess of love and the hunt... I pray to thee." Amy changed. "Let my cries bind the heart of Xander's beloved." Amy lowered the pendant into the bubbling mixture and continued chanting. "May she neither rest nor sleep until she submits to his will only."  
  
The flame of the burner became huge as the power of the spell emanated from the beaker and swirled above it and between her hands.  
  
"Diana, bring about this love and bless it."  
  
The swirls of energy began to return to the beaker and disappear.  
  
"Blow out the candle now!" she quickly called to Xander.  
  
With the he spell's power dissipated. Xander blew out the candle and all became calm.  
  
The next morning back in the school Xander decided to see if this spell really has worked.  
  
Xander spotted Cordelia and her friends sitting at a table and strolled over to them with confidence. He leaned in between Cordelia and Harmony and gazed confidently around the group of girls.  
  
"What?" Cordelia asked, wondering what in Hell Xander was doing.  
  
"Morning, ladies. Some kind of weather we've been having, huh?"  
  
"What do you want? You can't be sniffing around for more jewelry to melt, because all you ever gave me was that Smallmart-looking thing."  
  
Xander chuckled and leaned closer to Cordelia. "Is this love? 'Cause maybe on you it doesn't look that different."  
  
"What are you doing?" Cordelia hissed pushing Xander away. "Are you going, like, stalker-boy on me now?"  
  
"Sorry." Xander said. "My mistake."  
  
"Yeah, I should say so."  
  
Xander walked away leaving Cordelia and the others in complete bewilderment.  
  
"What is his deal?"  
  
In the Library, Giles was sitting on the table looking through a book while Buffy sat in a chair across from him.  
  
"Look, here's another." Giles said reading from a small book. "Here. Um, 'Valentine's Day.' Yes, uh... 'Angel nails a puppy to the...'"  
  
"Skip it." Buffy said suddenly.  
  
"Uh, but it..."  
  
"I don't wanna know. I don't have a puppy. Skip it."  
  
"Right you are. I'll get another batch." Giles said closing the book and walking to his office.  
  
"I have a plan we use me as bait." Xander announced as he opened the Library doors and walked in.  
  
"You mean make Angel come after you?" Buffy asnwered  
  
"No, I mean chop me into little pieces and stick me on hooks for fish to nibble at 'cause it would be more fun than my life."  
  
"Yeah." Buffy said standing up. "I heard about you and Cordy. That's her loss."  
  
"Yeah. Not really the popular theory." Xander commented dejectedly.  
  
"You know what I'd like?" Buffy said standing up and smiling warmly at Xander. "Why don't you and I do something together tonight? Just the two of us."  
  
Xander couldn't believe his ears at that comment. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah." Buffy replied. "We can comfort each other."  
  
"Well, would lap dancing enter into that scenario at all? 'Cause I find that very comforting."  
  
Buffy took a step closer to Xander, her eyes never leaving his.  
  
"Play your cards right..."  
  
Xander stopped Buffy so he could take a moment to think about what she just said. "Okay, uh... You do know that I'm Xander, right?"  
  
"I don't know," Buffy said looking down slightly. "I just... heard that you and Cordy broke up, and I guess I was just surprised how glad I was." At that Buffy slowly began playing with the bottom of Xander's shirt. "It's funny... how you can see someone every day but not really see them. You know?"  
  
"Yeah, it's funny." Xander said with a nervous smile. "And it's just gettin' funnier."  
  
She placed her finger to his lips to quiet him and leaned forward for a kiss. As she did, Amy sauntered into the Library.  
  
"Xander, can I talk to you for a minute?" Amy called.  
  
Buffy pulled back slightly at the sight of Amy.  
  
Xander looked back and fourth between Buffy and Amy a couple of times. "Yeah, okay."  
  
Amy walked out with Xander right behind her, then making sure the door is closed, he looked back through the window at Buffy for a second, and then drew his attention back to Amy.  
  
"Xander." Amy said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I don't think the spell worked out right."  
  
"Oh, yeah, it bombed. No biggie" Xander replied smiling at the thought of what just happened in the Library.  
  
"Well, we can always try again."  
  
'Try again' Xander thought to himself. He looked through the round window and spotted Buffy looking back at him with a broad smile on his face.  
  
"I am still pretty new at this."  
  
"Oh, no, no, no. It's okay. You know what? It was wrong to meddle with the forces of darkness. I see that now. I think we've all grown. I gotta go."  
  
"Oh, we don't have to cast any spells." Amy said quickly stopping him from re-entering the Library.  
  
Looking back into the Library, Xander could see Buffy staring back at him with her finger lingering between her lips.  
  
"We can just... hang out." Amy said  
  
"Sure." Xander said before thinking. "What?"  
  
"Well," Amy continued smiling. "I liked spending time with you. You're so sweet. You know, it's funny how you can... you can see a person every day and..."  
  
"Not really see them." Xander finished as he realised what was happening around here.  
  
He looked once more at Buffy. She was still staring at him, this time playing with her hair between her lips.  
  
"Exactly. So, anyway, I thought it might..."  
  
Before Xander got a chance of answering to Amy's proposal one of the Cordette's walked up to Xander, also smiling broadly.  
  
"Hi, Xander."  
  
"What?" Xander answered looking around at her.  
  
"You're in Mr. Baird's history class, right?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I thought maybe we could study together tonight."  
  
"Do you mind?" Amy interrupted. "We were talking."  
  
At that comment, both girls shot dirty looks at each other making Xander step back a little.  
  
"Uh, I really gotta go. Right now."  
  
Both Amy and the Cordette stared in silence as Xander made a bee-line down the corridor as quickly as possible.  
  
~ Xander's Bedroom, Lunch Time ~  
  
Xander barged into his room, relieved that he was out of the gaze of all the women he had passed on his way home. For reasons that Xander was still trying to figure out, it seems that now every woman in town would love to do nothing except for tear the clothing from his body.  
  
Taking deep breaths to calm himself down he slowly walks over to his bed and sits down on it. 'What is happening to me' he thought to himself. With Xander deep in thought he didn't notice Willow dressed only in one of his shirts sneak from under the covers and gently touch him on the back of his neck.  
  
Feeling someone behind him Xander literally jumps out of his skin and looks around at the person who had touched him.  
  
"Sorry. I wanted to surprise you." Willow said softly, looking at what she always considered her child-hood crush.  
  
"Good job!" Xander replied grinning nervously. "High marks."  
  
"Don't be so jumpy. I've been in your bed before." Willow said smiling.  
  
"Yeah, but Will, we were both in footy pyjamas."  
  
"Xand, I've been thinking."  
  
"Will, I, I think I know what you've been thinking." Xander said quickly cutting Willow off. "But this is all my fault. I cast a spell, and it sort of backfired."  
  
"How long have we been friends?" Willow asked as she gently ran her hands over the bed sheets.  
  
"A long, long time." Xander answered getting more and more nervous. "Too long to do anything that might change that now."  
  
"Well, friendships change all the time." Willow continued as she edged herself to the edge of the bed. "People grow apart. They grow closer."  
  
"Uh, this is good! How close we are now. I feel very comfortable with this amount of closeness. In fact, I can even back up a few paces and still be happy. See?"  
  
Willow gets out of the bed and walks over to Xander who only then realises that Willow was wearing nothing but his shirt.  
  
"I want you, Xander..." Willow said with a smile that sent Xander's blood pressure through the room, "to be my first!"  
  
"Baseman." Xander said now, extremely nervously. "Please tell me we're talking baseball."  
  
Xander didn't realise but Willow had successfully cornered him and he was unable to escape as she placed her hands on his chest and started rubbing it gently.  
  
"Shhh." Willow cooed. "We both know it's right."  
  
"It's not that I don't find you sexy." Xander said quickly, backing away from Willow before she kissed him.  
  
"Is it Oz?" Willow asks leaning her head back slightly. "Don't worry about him. He's sweet, but... he's not you."  
  
"Yes, he is. And you should go to him. 'Cause he's me."  
  
Now, Willow decided to go in for the kill and starts to nuzzle his earlobe, purring with contentment.  
  
"I-I don't wanna use force." Xander blurted, not knowing how to handle the situation.  
  
With that, Willow stopped what she was doing and leans back to face Xander with the biggest smile you could imagine. "Mm. Force is okay!"  
  
She tried to go for the earlobe again, but this time Xander was ready for her and gently pushes her away only to receive a confused look from Willow.  
  
"Th-that's it!" Xander said as if he was making his final 'I have had enough stand'. "This has gotta stop. It's time for me to act like a man." Xander lingers for a second then grabs the door knob. "And hide."  
  
~ Sunnydale High, The Next Day ~  
  
Cordelia exited a classroom and made a headway down the corridor. As she walked down, she eyed up her friends who at the sight of Cordelia turn to face her with their arms crossed.  
  
"Ha. Very funny." Cordelia said as she arrived. "What did I do now, wear red and purple together?"  
  
"You know what you did." Harmony said angrily. "Xander is wounded because of you."  
  
With that Harmony and the others turned and walked past Cordelia in a huff.  
  
"Are you tripping?" Cordelia called out completely baffled. "I thought you wanted me to break up with him!"  
  
Harmony stopped in her tracks and threw Cordelia a backwards look. "Only a sick pup would let Xander get away, no matter what her friends said."  
  
They all huffed again, and left Cordelia on her own in the corridor.  
  
"What does it take to make you people happy?" Cordelia yelled exasperated.  
  
Xander had decided that enough was enough, and there was only one person he could talk to, Giles. The only thing was, that he had to brave the corridors at school. His plan was to enter quickly and walk quickly to the Library, not stopping for anything.  
  
As Xander walked through the large double doors that graced the entrance, he could feel it .. the eyes. All the girls that were in the corridor at the time were doing nothing but staring at Xander with love in their eyes. Some of them were giggling as he passed, some were flashing him sexy smiles and looks, while some just simply watched him walk.  
  
The only people in the corridor who were not amused by all this happening were of course the guys who were all looking at him with daggers.  
  
Xander wasn't taking count of actually how many girls were eyeing him up until his attention was slightly drawn to several girls who passed directly in front of him with their eyes locked on every part of Xander's body, then he looked around which made his eyes bulge out on stalks.  
  
The corridor was absolutely choc-a-bloc with girls and dumb-founded guys, all wondering how on Earth he could achieve such reactions from so many girls.  
  
Xander breathed a huge sigh of relief as he reached the safe sanctuary of the Library, and a deeper sigh as he noticed he wasn't followed.  
  
"Xander." Giles said, not expecting him to be in the Library. "What is it?"  
  
"It, it's me..." he said nervously walking to wards the Librarian, "throwing myself at your mercy."  
  
"What? Why?" Giles asked as he took off his glasses to clean them.  
  
"I made a mess, Giles." Xander confessed. "See, I found out that Amy's into witchcraft, and I was hurt, I guess, so I... made her put the love whammy on Cordy, but it backfired, and now every woman in Sunnydale wants to make me her cuddle monkey, which may sound swell on paper, but..."  
  
At that point Jenny decided to walk into the Library to have a one-on-one with Giles.  
  
"Rupert, we need to talk." she said as she reached Xander. "Hey, Xander. Nice shirt. Look, Rupert, I know that you're angry at me, and I don't blame you, but I am not just gonna go away." While she was talking she was softly stroking Xander's upper arm. "I mean, I care far too much about you to... Have you been working out?"  
  
While Jenny was talking Xander was nodding slightly with his head towards Jenny to show him exactly what was going on.  
  
Finally it clicked and Giles quickly pulled Jenny to one side out of Xander's reach.  
  
"Oh!" she squealed with disappointment.  
  
Jenny just stood there with a look of desire and lust in her eyes. Giles noticed this and then shot his own look at Xander, but this one was of disbelief and anger at the young man.  
  
"I cannot believe that you are fool enough to do something like this!"  
  
"Oh, no, I'm twice the fool it takes to do something like this."  
  
Jenny just said nothing, she just watched Xander as she idly fiddles with her necklace.  
  
"Has, uh... Has Amy tried to reverse the spell?" Giles asked.  
  
"I get around Amy and all she wants to do is talk honeymoon plans."  
  
"Rupert, maybe I need to talk to Xander alone." Jenny offered taking a couple of steps forward.  
  
"Do you have any idea how serious this is?" Giles said pushing Jenny back, clearly angry. "People under a-a love spell, Xander, are-are deadly. They lose all capacity for reason."  
  
Giles shot a look a Jenny who had began rubbing her hands all over her face and neck, and then lower down her body.  
  
"And if what you say is true and the entire female population is affected, I... Don't leave the library. I'll find Amy and see if we can put a stop to this thing."  
  
Giles made a break to leave the Library, forgetting Jenny was there. She just stood there rubbing her fingers together with glee, before she started to saunter over to Xander to make her own move. Before she realised it thought, Giles had returned and grabbed Jenny by the hand and started pulling her out of the Library.  
  
"No!" Jenny moaned in protest.  
  
Xander realised that he was finally alone with no female company, and so to make that a permanent thing he rushed over to the mobile card drawer and pushed it in front of the doors to stop anybody coming in, then he headed back to the table.  
  
The thing is though, that he'd forgotten the doors swung both ways, and so he never noticed Buffy slowly and sexily walking in wearing a short raincoat that just stopped passed her mid-thigh and a pair of long black high heeled boots.  
  
"Alone at last." she purred.  
  
Xander spun round and as soon as he saw Buffy his jaw literally hit the floor. "Buff, give me a heart attack!"  
  
"Oh," she said as she started to slowly and sexily walk over to him. "I'm gonna give you more than that."  
  
As Buffy walked, she slowly grabbed the ties of the raincoat and began to play with them.  
  
"Buff, for the love of God, don't open that raincoat." Xander said back- pedalling as quickly as he could.  
  
"Come on! It's a party! Aren't you gonna open your present?" Buffy cooed as she undone her top button.  
  
It's not that I don't want to." Xander said as he reached the steps. "Sometimes the remote impossible possibility that you might like me was all that sustained me. But not now. Not like this. This isn't real to you."  
  
Buffy reached Xander and stood with one leg next to his hip.  
  
"You're only here because of a spell. I mean, if I thought you had one clue what it would mean to me... But you don't. So I can't."  
  
"So you're saying this is all a game?" Buffy said getting upset at hearing this.  
  
"A game? I... No!"  
  
"You make me feel this way, and then you reject me?" Buffy said with even more anger. "What am I, a toy?"  
  
Xander knew he was in trouble, and the last thing he knew he shouldn't do was to piss off a Slayer. "Buffy, please calm down."  
  
"I'll calm down when you explain yourself!"  
  
"Get away from him." Amy called appearing from nowhere. "He's mine."  
  
With the appearance of Amy, Buffy stopped eyeing Xander and took a defying step towards Amy. "Oh, I don't think so. Xander, tell her."  
  
"What? I, uh..." Xander said, not knowing what to say.  
  
"He doesn't have to say. I know what his heart wants."  
  
"Funny, I know what your face wants." Buffy calmly said to Amy. Amy had pissed her off now, and she was in Slayer mode. In a heart-beat Buffy pulled back and took a swing at Amy, punching her in the face and knocking her to the floor.  
  
"What is this, you're two-timing me?" Buffy yelled, turning her attention back to Xander.  
  
Xander was dumb-founded at the fact that Buffy attacked Amy. With Buffy distracted, she didn't notice Amy stand behind her with blood slowly dripping from her nose. Her eyes were completely black, she was performing a spell.  
  
"Goddess Hecate, work thy will." she chanted.  
  
"Uh-oh." Xander uttered as he knew whatever happened, it was bad.  
  
"Before thee let the unclean thing crawl!"  
  
Amy threw her arms in front of her throwing the energy of the spell towards the Slayer, which engulfs her completely. When the energy vanished, so had Buffy.  
  
"Buffy!" Xander said in disbelief at what just happened. "Oh, my God!"  
  
~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~  
  
Xander didn't know what to do, except stare back and fourth between Amy and where Buffy's raincoat was laying.  
  
"What, what just happened?" Giles asked as he burst back into the Library.  
  
"Buffy." Xander simply said pointing to the raincoat.  
  
At the sight of Xander, Jenny grinned broadly and tried to make a bee-line towards him only to be stopped by an infuriated Giles.  
  
"Where is she?" Giles asked.  
  
They both look down at the raincoat when they suddenly see a rat appear from one of the sleeves.  
  
"Oh, my God!" said in shock.  
  
Amy took that chance and walk over to Xander and take hold of his arm. "Why is she here?" she asks looking at Jenny.  
  
"Can you focus for a minute?" Xander told Amy. "You just turned Buffy into a rat."  
  
As Buffy, or 'Buffy-Rat' scampered across the Library floor, Giles could do nothing but to stare in wonderment.  
  
"Buffy can take care of herself." Amy said looking at Xander with nothing but lust in her eyes. "Why don't we go someplace private?"  
  
"Can you..." Xander said removing Amy's hands from his arm. "I'm not going anywhere until you change her back."  
  
"You heard him." Jenny said stepping in. "So why don't you undo your little magic trick and get lost?"  
  
"Who made you Queen of the World?" Amy said staring at Jenny. "Well, you're old enough to be."  
  
"Well, what can I say?" Jenny said as she grabbed Xander by his shirt. "I guess Xander's just too much man for the pimple squad."  
  
'Nothing will stop me getting the man of my dreams' Amy thought to herself as she stepped in between Jenny and Xander. She looked defiantly at Jenny, her eyes once again completely black.  
  
"Goddess Hecate, to you I pray, with this..."  
  
Seeing what Amy was about to do, he quickly put his hand over her mouth to gag her. "Would you quit with the Hecate?!"  
  
In the corridor, things were going from bad to worse, and Cordelia was at her wits end. She started down the corridor on her way to the Library, to see if Giles to throw some light on the situation, only to be shortly cornered Harmony and her friends.  
  
"Okay, what now? You don't like my locker combination?" Cordelia mocked,  
  
"It's just not right." Harmony said. "You never loved him. You just used him. You make me sick."  
  
"Okay, Harmony," Cordelia replied sarcastically, "if you need to borrow my Midol, just ask."  
  
That was a complete wrong thing to say as Cordelia was soon on the receiving end of a vicious slap in the face made by Harmony. Cordelia turned the other way to escape but she was quickly stopped by a Cordette who slammed her into a nearby locker, then another one grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the floor.  
  
"You two, sit." Giles commanded angrily at Amy and Jenny "And be quiet. We have to catch the Buffy rat."  
  
"Ooo, there!" Xander said spotting the Buffy-Rat.  
  
Xander was a little too late to reach her, so he decided to catch her off when she got out from behind the bookshelf.  
  
"Good Buffy." Xander muttered. "Just..."  
  
The next moment, Oz was standing over Xander who was on his knees, then suddenly without warning Oz smacked Xander in the face making him stumble backwards into the shelving and startling Giles in the process.  
  
With that going on, nobody noticed the Buffy-Rat emerging from behind the bookcase and slipping out through the partly open Library door and into the Hall.  
  
"That kinda hurt." Oz commented shaking his hand.  
  
"Kinda?!" Xander retorted, rubbing his cheek. "What was that for?"  
  
"I was on the phone all night, listening to Willow cry about you. Now, I don't know exactly what happened, but I was left with a very strong urge to... hit you."  
  
"I didn't touch her. I swear." Xander replied in self-defence as Oz helped Xander back on his feet.  
  
"Xander!" Giles hissed. "Where's Buffy?"  
  
"Amy turned her into a rat." Xander said to Oz.  
  
"Oh." Oz simply said looking around the floor for the Buffy-Rat.  
  
Giles and Xander get on their knees again, making squeeking noises as if they were calling out to Buffy.  
  
"I don't see her." Giles said after a few moments." If anything happens to her, I'll..." Giles looked up and shot Xander a look of disgust. "Oh, just go home. Lock yourself away. You're only going to cause more problems here. Now, Amy, Jenny and I will, uh... try and break the spell. Oz, if, if you could aid us in, in finding, um... Buffy."  
  
"Sure. Absolutely."  
  
"Just go." Giles said stopping Xander from making any comment. "Get out of my sight."  
  
Xander stared at Giles for a few moments, clearly upset, but then realises that he was of no use and so he made a break for the Library doors and Oz crouches back down again looking for Buffy.  
  
"Don't be a fool Xander," Giles yelled. "Do you think you'll last a single moment in those Hallways!"  
  
"But?" Xander replied confused.  
  
"Take the exit behind the stacks for God sake."  
  
Xander stopped for a moment before turning around and walking to the back of the Library where the back fire exit was located. Giles was right, if he'd gone through the corridors, chances were he wouldn't have escaped alive.  
  
~ The Library, A Little Later ~  
  
Jenny was pacing like a trapped animal, and Giles was sitting at the table thumbing through a book of magic spells. Amy was sitting opposite him wipy turned her into a rat." Xander said to Oz.  
  
"Oh." Oz simply said looking around the floor for the Buffy-Rat.  
  
Giles and Xander get on their knees again, making squeeking noises as if they were calling out to Buffy.  
  
"I don't see her." Giles said after a few moments." If anything happens to her, I'll..." Giles looked up and shot Xander a look of disgust. "Oh, just go home. Lock yourself away. You're only going to cause more problems here. Now, Amy, Jenny and I will, uh... try and break the spell. Oz, if, if you could aid us in, in finding, um... Buffy."  
  
"Sure. Absolutely."  
  
"Just go." Giles said stopping Xander from making any comment. "Get out of my sight."  
  
Xander stared at Giles for a few moments, clearly upset, but then realises that he was of no use and so he made a break for the Library doors and Oz crouches back down again loves me." Amy said to Jenny. "We look into each other's souls."  
  
"No one can love two people at once." Jenny said defiantly. "What we have is real."  
  
"Instead of making me ill, why doesn't one of you try to help me?" Giles snapped at the girls.  
  
"I can't believe that Xander would resort to the Black Arts to get a date." Cordelia muttered. "Go figure."  
  
"He didn't want a 'date'," Giles stated looking directly at Cordelia. "He wanted you back."  
  
'He really loves me?' Cordelia thought to herself in wonderment.  
  
"You have no idea what I'm going through." Amy muttered looking into her mirror.  
  
Giles had finally had enough. "I know it's not love." he said to Amy. "It's obsession. Selfish, banal obsession. Now, Xander has put himself in very great danger. If you cared at all about him, you'd help me save him, rather than wittering on about your feelings. Now, let's get on with some work." He turned to Jenny just as she left the Library. "Now, Jenny... Great!"  
  
It was early evening as Xander came running down one of the streets of Sunnydale. Completely exhausted, she slowed to a walk.  
  
"Okay, now I really think I've lost them." he muttered to himself. "Thankfully some peace."  
  
Even after what he'd witnessed, he still couldn't get over it. The hottest women he'd ever seen at that school were lusting, no drooling over him and would have done absolutely anything for him to make him happy. All that is, except for the one girl that he really did want, Cordelia, who still hated him.  
  
He looked around, wondering where in Sunnydale he was, then he saw a familiar house. It was the Summers' residence. He knew he'd get protection there from Buffy's mum. He quickly ran up to the door and knocked quickly and loudly, always checking to see if there was a mob following him.  
  
"Come on!" Xander quipped.  
  
"Xander, what?" Joyce said puzzled as she opened the door to him.  
  
"Can I come in?" Xander almost begged.  
  
"Sure," Joyce replied opening the door wider.  
  
Joyce let Xander in and slammed the door behind her, then they both looked back out through the small side windows to check again if he was followed. Then Joyce led Xander through into the Kitchen area.  
  
"What happened? Why are you all scratched up? Where's Buffy?" Joyce asked gesturing Xander to a nearby stool  
  
"She's, um... around." Xander answered, not wanting to tell her that her only daughter was now a rat with a cheese fixation.  
  
"Well, tell me about it. I'll just go to the bathroom and get some bandages."  
  
'Oh no,' Xander thought, 'what if.' Xander almost shot from the stool and looked at Joyce. "I know, I'll go and get those bandages."  
  
"No, you don't have to." Joyce said reaching out to rub his back. "I'll get them for you."  
  
"No, I insist." Xander said quickly. Before Joyce could answer, he backed up quickly and made a frantic bee-line upstairs. 'Buffy's room!' he thought,  
  
"Sweetheart..." Joyce called after him.  
  
Xander entered inside Buffy's room and closed and locked the door. Sighing deeply, he took a moment to consider his options.  
  
"Good. The mob still hasn't found me." Xander said looking out of an open window. "I should be safer up here."  
  
Just as he looked back from the window Angelus grabbed him from outside.  
  
"Works in theory." he snarled and pulled Xander outside the house.  
~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~  
  
Down in the boiler room of the School, the Buffy-Rat was scurrying around in an attempt to dodge any adversary that could, well, quiet easily beat her in battle. The Buffy-Rat crawled around the floor, trying to find the source of a scent she'd picked up. It was a baited rat trap.  
  
"Where's Buffy?!" Angelus snarled at Xander.  
  
Before Xander could answer, Angelus threw Xander off the room onto the grass below. Then he jumped down after him and stood over him ready to pounce.  
  
"Perfect." Angelus said with a smile picking up a helpless Xander. "I wanted to do something special for Buffy, actually to Buffy, but this is so much better!"  
  
Xander, taking the opportunity of Angelus babbling, kneed him in the crotch, but he wasn't fazed in the slightest and he flipped Xander though a three-sixty black-flip. Then Angelus reached down and grabbed Xander's hair lifting his head up of the grass.  
  
"If it's any consolation, I feel very close to you right now."  
  
~ Sunnydale Library ~  
  
"Ah, ah." Giles said triumphantly. "I think I've found something. It's the transformation spell that will revert Buffy back to her true form."  
  
"That's nice," Cordelia said absentmindedly.  
  
"What about you?" Giles said to Amy. "Any ideas on how to reverse this love spell?"  
  
"Well," Amy said leafing through another magic book. "There are two ways to break the spell."  
  
"Which are?" Giles pushed.  
  
Amy turned the book she was reading around the placed it on top of the book Giles was reading. Giles looked down and read the passage.  
  
"Good, we can sort this out." Giles said. "What's the other?"  
  
"Xander has to accept and embrace his 'true' love, the one infected with the spell. Once that happens the spell that embodies that person will be shared with them both and they will experience true love forever."  
  
"But it's not 'true' love," Cordelia countered. "It's only infatuation. Love induced through magic? It wouldn't be real."  
  
"But if all the females are indeed infected?" Giles said.  
  
"Then everything would return to normal for all of them, except for the one who he accepted." Amy explained.  
  
"I feel sorry for the poor one who Xander accepts," Cordelia mocked. 'Though now, I wished it were me' she thought silently.  
  
~ Same Moment ~  
  
Just as Angelus was about to bite down on Xander's neck a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and tossed him into a nearby tree. Seeing this, Xander was immediately relieved. 'They turned Buffy back' he thought to himself.  
  
"Buffy, how..." he began.  
  
"Don't fret, kitten." Drusilla said helping Xander back to his feet. "Mummy's here."  
  
"I don't know what you're up to, Dru, but it doesn't amuse!"  
  
Angelus and Drusilla exchange a hated glare at each other before she turned back to Xander.  
  
"If you harm one hair on this boy's head..." she said stoking his hair gently.  
  
"You've gotta be kidding." Angelus said, shocked. "Him?"  
  
"Just because I finally found a real man..." Drusilla said looking deeply into Xander's eyes.  
  
"I guess I really did drive you crazy." Angelus said backing away from them both.  
  
"Your face is a poem." Drusilla told Xander as she passed a finger over his lips. "I can read it."  
  
"Really?" he said terrified. "It doesn't say 'spare me' by any chance?"  
  
"Shhh." she said placing a soft kiss on his lips. "How do you feel about eternal life?"  
  
"We couldn't just start with a coffee? A movie, maybe?"  
  
"I can see." Drusilla said placing a hand on his cheek. "They don't love you, they don't even want you. But I do."  
  
"Who don't want me?" Xander stuttered nervously.  
  
"Cordelia, Buffy and your friends. You have a power you never realised you have" Drusilla purred. "I can show you, yes I can. I can help you achieve everything you should be. All you have to do, is accept."  
  
"Accept what?" Xander said swallowing nervously.  
  
Xander and Drusilla looked around as they heard the sound of the female mob running up the street towards them.  
  
"We can help each other my darling," Drusilla said softly running her hand up her arm.  
  
"Yeah," Xander said slightly convinced at what she was saying. "but I kinda got this thing of not being turned into a Vampire."  
  
"There he is!" one of them screamed.  
  
"It won't come to that. I need you as you are." Drusilla said.  
  
In the Boiler Room, the top door opened and shortly after Oz came walking down the stairs with a flashlight in his hand looking for the Buffy-Rat.  
  
"Here, Buffy." Oz called.  
  
Buffy, if she could understand Oz calling to her had her own agenda, the cheese. She crawled over a small pile of dirty cloths where just beyond laid the rat trap with the piece of cheese.  
  
In the Science Lab, Giles and Amy stood over a beaker of bubbling liquid that stood over a Bunsen burner. Giles made one more check then nodded to himself as he knew he was ready to reverse everything.  
  
"Right." he said to Amy. "Go on. You first."  
  
Amy stepped in front of Giles and momentarily closed her eyes before starting the spell. "Goddess of creatures great and small, I conjure thee to withdraw. Hecate, I hereby license thee to depart."  
  
Giles threw a powder mixture into the beaker which made it react violently sending sparks and a brilliant flash of light from the beaker.  
  
It found it's mark exactly as planned as down in the Boiler room Oz was momentarily blinded by a blind light that emanated from behind a couple of packing crates. After a few moments, everything returned to blackness.  
  
"Buffy?" Oz called out to her.  
  
In response Buffy jumped up from behind the crates, and, thankfully for her strategically placed as they concealed her nakedness from Oz.  
  
With the first spell out of the way, Giles took over from Amy and placed a pinch of herb into the beaker from a small jar.  
  
"Um... Diana, goddess of love, be gone." Giles recited from the book "Hear no more thy siren's song."  
  
"Giles,." Amy said looking around the room slightly. "I think ."  
  
Giles didn't hear Amy as he picked up the pendant he had given Cordelia and waved it over the top of the beaker before dropping it into the mixture.  
  
"Giles," Amy repeated.  
  
Suddenly a form of smoke appeared over the top of the beaker which seemed to hang in a perfectly formed circle, but nothing else visible seemed to happen for several moments before the smoke seemed to backfire and blow outwards knocking both Amy and Giles off their feet and onto the floor.  
  
Out in the street the mob of females that were standing in front of Drusilla and Xander stopped in their tracks and looked around completely dumbfounded.  
  
"What's going on?" One of the girls said. "Where am I? What's going on?"  
  
"Why are we all here outside this house?" another one asked.  
  
In the Basement Buffy looked squarely at Oz from behind the crates. Oz realising Buffy's predicament quickly turns off the flashlight, while Buffy hugged herself in an attempt to cover-up her embarrassing state she was in.  
  
"Hi, Oz!" Buffy simply said.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"I seem to be having a slight case of nudity here." Buffy said blushing.  
  
"But you're not a rat. So call it an upside."  
  
"You think maybe you could get me some clothing?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yes, I can. Just, uh... don't go anywhere."  
  
"Really not an issue." Buffy said looking around.  
  
~ Sunnydale High, Next Day ~  
  
Buffy and Giles were walking down the corridor toward the Library  
  
"It was completely weird." Buffy said. "I was like a Slayer-Rat."  
  
"R-really?" Giles said looking at his Slayer. "You mean you still had your Slayer powers while you were a rat?"  
  
"Yeah it was really wiggy, and you guys looked really huge."  
  
Hearing that, Giles couldn't help but to giggle at the imagery of what Buffy might have seen.  
  
"So," Buffy continued as they entered the Library, "everything's sorted out with Xander."  
  
"As far as I know." Giles said. "We performed the spell last night. And seeing that no female is going all crazed over the boy it seemed that it worked true to form."  
  
Buffy didn't mention what had happened before she got turned into a Rat, she through it was embarrassing that she was walking the corridors of Sunnydale High wearing nothing but boots and a raincoat.  
  
"Speaking of," Buffy wondered, "where is Xander?"  
  
"He's not here," a dejected Willow said sitting at the Library table. "He hasn't been in school at all today."  
  
"Maybe he's unwell," Giles said.  
  
"Or maybe he felt a little too embarrassed." Buffy said sitting next to her friend. "How you feeling Will?"  
  
"A little embarrassed myself." Willow confessed. "You know how much I love him Buffy and .."  
  
"Yeah." Buffy said quietly. "I know Will, I know."  
  
"Have you tried calling his home?" Giles asked re-appearing from his office.  
  
"I tried," Willow answered, "but there was no answer. His parents usually leave for work before he wakes up, so I though he had left for school."  
  
"Okay," Cordelia's voice echoed as she entered the Library, "I don't get it. Where's Xander? Is he like, all embarrassed 'cause of the completely lame-ass thing he did yesterday with the magic?"  
  
"We don't know," Buffy answered staying close to her friend to give her support.  
  
"Why do you care anyway?" Willow asked looking up from where she was sitting.  
  
"I don't," Cordelia simply remarked. "It's just that he missed Science and we were supposed to do the damn dissection together and instead I got dumped with Larry." Cordelia gave a huff and sat opposite Willow and Buffy. "I'm not really sure, but I think Larry's a little gay."  
  
"You mean happy?" Giles dumbly asked popping his head out from one of the stacks.  
  
"Yeah," Cordelia answered shaking her head in wonderment. "So, we Bronze- ing it tonight?"  
  
"I dunno," Buffy answered. "Maybe I should go patrolling, see if I manage to run into the love of my un-dead life. I mean, as much as I love him, while he's killin' I do have a job to do .. and that's to kill him."  
  
"Oh come on," Willow said this time trying to cheer Buffy up. "We could swing by Xander's place and drag him out with us. What d'a say Cordy?"  
  
"Well if he REALLY has to come," Cordelia moped. 'I definitely hope he comes' she thought.  
  
"Then I guess it's a date." Buffy said standing up. "Nine at the Bronze. Hey Giles."  
  
"Yes Buffy?" Giles called from the back of the Library.  
  
"Up for some training?"  
  
~ The Bronze, That Night ~  
  
They'd arrived at the Bronze after their nightly patrol. Although Buffy had come across a couple of Vamps, there wasn't a single peek of Angelus. As they walked in, they were immediately apart of the usual mass of bodies that regularly inhabit the Bronze, 'cause basically it was the only half decent place to hang out in Sunnydale. That night there was no live band, and so instead there was a DJ who was currently playing a selection of imported tracks. The one that was playing was a song he'd called 'Never Be The Same Again' by ex-Spice Girl member, Melanie C.  
  
I call you up whenever things go wrong You're always there, you are my shoulder to cry on. I can't believe it took me quiet so long To take the forbidden step, is this something that I might regret.  
  
Buffy and the group found their usual table, and while Buffy went up for snacks, Willow and Oz decided to dance to the tune which left Cordelia all on her lonesome at the table. Before they had arrived at the Bronze, they had passed by Xander's place to ask him why he'd never turned up at school, but he still wasn't at home. So they thought they would see him while they were either on patrol, or he'd turn up at the Bronze.  
  
I thought that we would just be friends, Things would never be the same again  
  
'Things will never be the same again' Cordelia thought idly in her mind, 'yeah damn right about that'.  
  
It's just the beginning it's not the end, Thing's would never be the same again  
  
Cordelia looked up at the dance floor and saw Willow and Oz dancing close together and she remembered all those times when Cordy and Xander actually got to dance together before her wanting to be back with the 'in-crowd' again.  
  
It's not a secret anymore now we've opened up the door Starting tonight and from now on Will never, never be the same again  
  
"Hey," Buffy said to Cordy as she returned to the table, her arms full of snacks for the rest of the gang.  
  
"Oh," Cordelia said realising that Buffy was talking to her. "Sorry, was miles away."  
  
"So, what was it like where you were?"  
  
"Better than," Cordelia said slowly looking for the right words.  
  
"Better than living in a place where Xander isn't scrabbling for your attention through arguing and fighting?" Buffy offered.  
  
That comment struck a nerve. Cordelia turned her head towards Buffy and for a moment gave her a severe icy stare, but that soon faded. Buffy was right, as always.  
  
"Look," Cordelia said. "I know that I'm like the bitch-queen of Sunnydale High, and as much as it's weird, I do kinda have feelings for Xander. And I don't care what you, or anybody else thinks of that."  
  
"It's cool," Buffy said quickly. "I'm cool, we're cool. So, you have actual feelings for Xander?"  
  
Cordelia definitely fell for that one when she said it. "Yeah," she finally admitted, "but I thought I could be back with Harm and the others again, but.."  
  
".. It was one or the other, not both." Buffy finished with a nod from Cordelia.  
  
I thought that we would just be friends, Things would never be the same again It's just the beginning it's not the end, Thing's would never be the same again  
  
"Hey." Oz whispered softly in Willow's ear as they danced.  
  
"Hey back," Willow muttered, her head nestled on his shoulder.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts. You been quiet all evening since after school."  
  
"Kinda it's just .."  
  
"You're still worried about Xander?" Oz asked rhetorically. "We all are Will, but he'll turn up sooner or later."  
  
"Hopefully sooner," Willow said leaning her head back and looking into Oz's eyes.  
  
The song ended, and they both stood up and looked at each other smiling. Looking back over they could see Buffy and Cordelia smiling at them and in front of them a table full of food and drink. As they walked back, Willow looked up slightly to where a second lever gantry was suspended from the ceiling, and amongst the crowd of people that were up there, she saw someone that stood out extremely clearly .. or she thought so.  
  
"Will. You okay?" Oz asked turning around to where his girlfriend was standing.  
  
"Yeah." she simply replied. "Do you ever get that feeling that you see someone you recognise, but you don't know why?"  
  
"Sometimes." Oz simply said taking her arm. "Who was it?"  
  
"I don't know," Willow said re-thinking what she thought she'd seen. "Maybe I was seeing things."  
  
"Maybe." Oz said as they sat at the table.  
  
"Maybe what?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"I think I maybe saw someone I thought I recognised." Willow said receiving mixed facial reactions form both Buffy and Cordelia.  
  
"Have you been reading Dr. Seuss again?" Buffy asked with a slight smile on her lips.  
  
All of them settled down with the refreshments and started chatting about all the things that had taken place that day in school. Buffy looked up for a moment from eating her double-choc muffin, and this time she felt that sensation .. or more to the point, saw that sensation.  
  
The person was barely visible, at the back of the club walking in front of where she was looking towards the back entrance. She couldn't make out if it was a guy or a girl but whoever it was had a definite thing for black clothing. Dark jeans and boots, black silk shirt which reflected the coloured lights, and a long three-quarters length leather jacket and completed the ensemble.  
  
"Will," Buffy said not taking her eyes off the mysterious person. "Was that the 'maybe' you thought you saw walking to the back exit?"  
  
Willow turned her head along with Cordy and Oz. "I think," Willow said trying to get any specific details. "Yeah, it was. That person was upstairs."  
  
"Think it's a Vamp?" Cordelia asked throwing a look to Buffy.  
  
"Only one way to find out." she said getting up from her stool and starting towards the exit with the other three in tow.  
  
By the time they'd followed the mysterious person outside the Bronze they'd already fled into the night.  
  
"Was it a Vampire?" Oz asked looking around, stake at the ready.  
  
"I don't know." Buffy said also looking around with a stake at hand. "But I do know that it's another mystery for Giles to figure out."  
  
~ The Library, Following Afternoon ~  
  
There were a lot of questions that were plaguing Giles' mind during that day, and as such he had spent all morning with his nose in several books including the Codex, the book the described the destiny of the Slayer in her later years.  
  
Giles looked up from his book as Buffy entered into the Library with a face full of concern. "Hello Buffy," Giles said as she approached the table. "How was your morning?"  
  
"Something's wrong." she said sitting down opposite him.  
  
"R-really?" Giles asked taking a sip from his tea cup. "What may that be?"  
  
"This is the second day that Xander is a no-show in school, and nobody has seen him at all since that incident a couple of days ago."  
  
"Well .." Giles started to ponder.  
  
"Do you think .." Buffy started saying.  
  
"That maybe he got caught by a Vampire and turned?" Giles finished looking at his Slayer in her eyes. "I may not have known the young man for a long time, but I know he'd rather die. I mean, we all know how much he hates Vampires so he'd never voluntarily become one."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Buffy said sighing. "But we've searched absolutely everywhere, and we couldn't find him anywhere."  
  
"Well," Giles said taking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Then, I hate to compound bad news with more bad news."  
  
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked looking at Giles intently.  
  
Before Giles could answer, the Library doors opened and Willow, Oz and Cordelia all walked in.  
  
"Hey guys," Willow said actually smiling. "What's new?"  
  
"Badness." Buffy said to Willow before turning back to Giles. "Spill Giles, you can't lock the stable door after the horse has bolted."  
  
Hearing that saying from Buffy, Giles couldn't help but to slightly raise his eyebrow in amusement. "Well," he finally confessed, "it involves a prophecy that I found in the Codex."  
  
"The Codex," Oz repeated sitting next to his girlfriend. "It's gotta be pretty serious if it's in the Codex."  
  
"It involves a confrontation with a foe whom knows everything about the Slayer and whom is born from death with the power to circumvent the Slayer's plans. This foe, whoever it is will also be equally strong psychically with the Slayer."  
  
"So, I know this foe I'm going to face?" Buffy mused thinking on what Giles just said.  
  
"Who?" Cordelia said looking around. "The only people that know of the Slayer is sitting around this table."  
  
"With the exception of Xander," Willow added.  
  
"Yeah," Cordelia retorted, "but Xander? Please he couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag!"  
  
"Then who?" Buffy said.  
  
"Angelus?" Giles suggested.  
  
"I don't think," Oz said. "A prophecy is something is usually something that is about to come."  
  
"Well, yes." Giles slowly agreed.  
  
"Yeah," Willow caught on, "and Angelus, or Angel has been around for a couple of centuries already."  
  
"True." Giles agreed again. "But that doesn't mean that Angelus couldn't be a main part of the prophecy. Something magical could be used for example."  
  
"Maybe Willy could help us out here," Buffy said. "If anything demonic is happening around here, he'll know about it."  
  
"Right," Giles agreed, "and in the meantime I'll continue to look up anything regarding this prophecy."  
  
~ That Evening ~  
  
"Hey Willy," Buffy said conversationally as she entered a seedy demon bar called Willy's. As always the bar was half empty. For Willy there was no such thing as a regular customer for as soon as Buffy entered for information they usually get up and leave before something happened.  
  
"Hey, Slayer." Willy said loudly enough so all the demons in the bar knew. "What brings you to Willy's Place?"  
  
"I wanna know if anything weird has been happening these past few days?" Buffy said sitting in front of Willy.  
  
"Weird? Isn't that kind of the credo of Sunnydale?  
  
"Well then 'Weird-er' happening?" Buffy re-phrased.  
  
"I don't much," Willy said. "Not a lot has been happening. The usual summer migration from the Hellmouth. But I'll tell you something that I heard was strange."  
  
"Go on," Buffy insisted.  
  
"Word is that Spike has left town. On his own."  
  
"On his own?" Buffy repeated.aking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Then, I hate to compound bad news with more bad news."  
  
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked looking at Giles intently.  
  
Before Giles could answer, the Library doors opened and Willow, Oz and Cordelia all walked in.  
  
"Hey guys," Willow said actually smiling. "What's new?"  
  
"Badness." Buffy said to Willow before turning back to Giles. "Spill Giles, you can't lock the stable door after the horse has bolted."  
  
Hearing that saying from Buffy, Giles couldn't help but to slightly raise his eyebrow in amusement. "Well," he finally confessed, "it involves a prophecy that I found in the Codex."  
  
"The Codex," Oz repeated sitting next to his girlfriend. "It's gotta be pretty serious if it's in the Codex."  
  
"It involves a confrontation with a foe whom knows everything about the Slayer andtside where the rest of the Scooby gang were waiting around.  
  
"Any news?" Willow asked.  
  
"There's supposed to be a bad guy on it's way in a day or so, could be related to the prophecy."  
  
"Any details?" Oz asked.  
  
"No, sadly. Where'd Cordelia go?"  
  
"She went on ahead to the Bronze," Willow said, "we said we'd meet her there later on."  
  
"So we patrolling?" Oz said.  
  
"Patrolling it is." Buffy agreed.  
  
~ Restfield Cemetery ~  
  
"Hey, bud got any spear food?" a Vamp growled as they walked through the cemetery.  
  
"Yeah, back in my lair," a second Vamp replied looking around for a little bit of fun. A little while earlier the Vamp and three of his friends had fed off a small group of people who had just left a bar, and the alcohol that was in their blood was now in their blood. Needless to say, they were enjoying themselves by having a little slaughter rampage.  
  
"OH wait," a third Vamp said lowering his voice slightly at the sight of the Slayer and her friends entering the cemetery. "I think food is on the way. Slayer blood."  
  
"Is it me, or is it weird?" Willow commented idly as they entered Restfield.  
  
"What do you mean?" Buffy said looking back at Willow and Oz walking together.  
  
"I miss the Xander-isms he usually makes when we patrol .. or in fact at any other time of the day."  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean."  
  
"Yeah," Oz even agreed, "he's always good at keeping the tension light. I wonder where he is?"  
  
"Let's just worry about the who's here at the moment though," Buffy said point a small group of Vampires that were walking towards them. Buffy counted about four, youngish looking Vamps, probably not long been turned.  
  
"This is going to be fun." the lead Vampire said bearing his fangs in the moonlight.  
  
They were virtually nose to nose with the lead Vampire when the first strike was blown. The Vampire went sailing through the air and crashed with serious bang against the side wall of a crypt.  
  
The Vamps looked back and fourth between the Slayer and their fallen friend before all hell broke loose. Oz automatically went into protection mode guarding his girlfriend and providing backup for the Slayer as she dived into the remaining three Vampires  
  
One of the Vamps, a small pudgy one, tried to get the best of Buffy and throw a punch while she wasn't looking, but he soon had her attention when he found one of the Slayer's hands wrapped around his own and being squeezed fiercely. As Buffy squeezed, everyone in earshot could hear the painful sounds of knuckles popping under the Slayer's powerful grip which made the Vampire squeal in pain.  
  
The odds were soon three to one in favour of the Slayer, and it was a foregone conclusion that it was soon to be over. The Vampire who had the now broken hand looked hesitantly between the Slayer and her friends, then thought better of it and vanished off into the darkness.  
  
"That was, quick." Willow said looking around at three small piles of dust that now littered the cemetery.  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said looking around. "Say, I dunno about you, but I'm ready for a little dancin'. What say we do a pass around the school, then make our way to the Bronze?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan." Oz agreed as they moved of in the direction of the High School.  
  
As Buffy, Willow and Oz left two figures looked at them in the shadows. They smile in the cover of darkness as the taller one folds their arms over it's chest. He then lets out a small chuckle, and they turn and disappear back into the shadows. Everything was coming along perfectly.  
  
It wasn't long before they reached the grounds of the school. It was getting late quickly so they all agreed upon a quick sweep and then they would make tracks to a night of relaxation, though there was no real need to worry about time as the next day was the weekend.  
  
They stopped walking just as they reached the corner of the main building. Around the corner there were three vampires circling something .. a large something, like they were vultures waiting for their prey to die. Buffy was now out of stakes and looking back both Oz and Willow also had no stakes, so plan 'B' it was. Buffy jumped out from the blackness and started running in their direction screaming and shouting. The three demons, knowing that an angry Slayer was usually more dangerous than an armed Slayer, ran into the night.  
  
When Buffy saw them leave she stopped and looked back to where she emerged from where Willow and Oz came out to join Buffy. They both looked back and saw that were the demons were they could see an extremely large imitation of an upside down cross that was placed on the front lawn, which was most definitely weird.  
  
The three of them moved forwards towards the cross to examine why they'd actually plant it in front of the School.  
  
"Maybe they were conjuring this demon person that's part of the prophecy?" Willow pondered as they got closer.  
  
"Maybe," Buffy said.  
  
"Maybe they're just reformed." Oz quipped which made Willow and Buffy giggle at the comment.  
  
They got closer and they circled it deep in thought. When they walked to the other side though all three froze on the spot in terror.  
  
"Oh my .." Willow simply uttered, still in shock.  
  
On the cross was the un-conscious form of their friend, Xander.  
  
~~~~~ Part 5 ~~~~~  
  
Xander's face was badly beaten and from a glance, it had looked like his nose had been broken. He was still wearing the same clothes he had on the day the girls were under the magic influence, but now they were torn and shredded and there were dozens of cuts and bruises on his body.  
  
"Get him down!" Willow squealed as she buried her head into her boyfriend's shoulder and started crying heavily.  
  
Both Buffy and Oz had spent several moments is stunned silence, not knowing what or why this had happened. Then hearing Willow crying, Buffy snapped out of it immediately and walked towards the cross and started untying the roped that bound Xander's body to the cross.  
  
"Xander," Buffy whispered looking down at the body of her friend, tears flowing freely as she pressed her hands softly against either side of his face. Looking down, she gasped softly as her eyes caught sight of two little puncture marks at the base of his neck. 'Had he been turned?' Buffy thought. It was hard enough trying to kill her ex-boyfriend but to have to kill Xander as well .. she just couldn't do it.  
  
Buffy sighed and slowly let her left hand slip down to rest on his neck, and something made her quickly open her eyes in disbelief ..  
  
"Xander?" she said softly looking at his face intently.  
  
"What is it?" Willow asked getting the courage to look around at the body of Xander, her eyes already puffy and red.  
  
"He's .." Buffy said looking back, ".. alive."  
  
~ Sunnydale Hospital, Accident & Emergency ~  
  
"Doctor Sanderson to Emergency Ward three, Doctor Sanderson to Emergency Ward three." a voice echoed through a PA system.  
  
Buffy sat alone in the waiting room for news about their friend Xander. Willow had gone to Giles' place and told him what had happened while Oz went on to the Bronze and got Cordelia who was waiting for them.  
  
Buffy couldn't help but to play through the past several minutes in her head, of the medic listing all the injuries that Xander had sustained.  
  
"Okay, we got multiple fractures throughout his left arm, severe break in his right leg, broken right wrist, concussion, multiple bruises and lacerations over his entire body and excessive blood loss .."  
  
"Buffy," a voice brought Buffy back to reality. "Buffy." She looked up and saw Giles approaching, with Willow.  
  
"Giles," Buffy said standing up as he got near her, and embraced him in a hug. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said sniffing.  
  
"Have you heard anything?" Willow asked.  
  
"Still, no," Buffy said sitting back down again along with Willow and Giles. "We're still waiting for Oz and Cordelia."  
  
"Here," Oz said appearing from just where Giles and Willow were.  
  
"How is he?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"Still waiting," Buffy said looking up at Cordelia and Oz.  
  
What is peace?  
  
What is contentment?  
  
What is bliss?  
  
Or what is the price for these answers? At this moment, Xander Harris thought he knew the answers to these questions. He was at peace, contented and more than that, in complete bliss. Totally unaware of where he was or what had happened to him.  
  
He was inside his world now, his little world wrapped in a shroud of blackness and silence, where he was everywhere and nowhere at the same time and where he knew everything and nothing.  
  
"What do you want?" several disembodied voices asked from somewhere in the blackness.  
  
"What?" Xander replied.  
  
"What do you want?" the voice repeated. "Where do you want to be? What do you want to do? What do you want to be?"  
  
"I don't understand?" Xander exclaimed.  
  
"You are everything .. You are nothing"  
  
"I know who I am," Xander answered. "I know where I want to be, I know what I want to do and I know who I want to be. Now can you stop with the cryptic and just let me be!"  
  
"You are not ready. You don't know what is to come, what to expect."  
  
Meanwhile back at the Hospital room, Buffy and the others looked on at Xander laying in his bed. Each of them were looking at him and thinking something a little different about the young man in front of them.  
  
Giles saw a young and courageous man who put his life on the line countless times assisting the Slayer in her duties. Though he didn't have any powers he'd jump in at a moment's notice, and he'd always had the ability to keep a tense or stressful moment light with his strangely infectious sense of humour.  
  
Cordelia saw a man who she'd never admitted she loved. He was a kind, gentle and caring man who'd she do anything for.  
  
Oz saw someone who he though a friend. Through the time he had spent with Xander, he had found out that they had quite a lot of things in common.  
  
Willow saw her friend who she knew since childhood, and considered him a bother to her. She had a place in her heart that would always belong to only him. She knew that he had something deep within him that made him standout clearly from every other boy she'd ever met, well except for Oz of course.  
  
Buffy saw the one who had saved her on numerous occasions, and who was always there for her when she needed someone. He was always by her side at the most crucial moment, but at the most important moment he had needed her .. she wasn't there for him, and that made her sick to the stomach. Knowing that somewhere he needed help from his friends and the Buffy wasn't there to help him.  
  
Cordelia was standing just behind Buffy looking on at Xander, just wishing she would just reach out and touch him, comfort him. Buffy looked around and saw the look in her eye's, and she knew what she wanted so stepping aside she gently touched her arm moving her towards the bed.  
  
Cordelia sat in the chair and pushed is gently towards Xander's bed. She reached out and gently pushed a stray lock of hair away from his face so she could see his face completely. Then she took his hand in her own.  
  
"Xander," Cordelia said softly. "Come on Xander, please promise me that you won't die. I have so many things I need to say to you."  
  
She spoke softly almost as not to wake him from a nap. Cordelia knew what she wanted to say, and it had been so long she now decided she wanted to say it and to hell with what others thought.  
  
"Xander. Please listen to me. We need you. We all need you, especially me. Please don't leave me, please. I love you."  
  
Cordelia couldn't handle it any longer and suddenly the ice maiden broke down in front of Buffy and the others. She did love Xander, she did need Xander, and now that she'd admitted it she wasn't going to take it back. Cordelia buried her head in the soft sheets that covered Xander, the rest of his friends looking down at Cordelia with a new sense of understanding of who she was.  
  
Suddenly she felt Xander's hand gently tighten around hers. She looked up, and could see Xander's eyes slowly start to open.  
  
"Dear Lord," Giles said seeing this. "I'll get a nurse." Giles left in a hurry as Xander opened his eyes. He looked around a few times, allowing his eyes to focus. Then gave them a weary smile.  
  
"Hey," he said weakly, "what does a guy have to do to get a little sleep around here?" The gang couldn't help but to give a little laugh at this, relieved to see him back to normal. Well,. whatever normal was for Xander Harris.  
  
"Leave it to you to make a joke out of all this," Willow said shiffing.  
  
"That's just the way I am, Will." Xander replied with a small smile. "Hey there guys, Buffy. How's the Slaying going?"  
  
"It's okay," Buffy replied. "Though we were too worried about you. You'd been gone, like, forever."  
  
"Hey Cordy." Xander said a little surprised to see her crying by his bedside. "What brings you here?"  
  
"Waiting for you to wake up." Cordelia replied between tears. "We were worried that you weren't going to make it back to us."  
  
"What?" Xander said smiling. "And make your lives normal? No way. Besides, you're not getting rid of me that fast."  
  
They let out another laugh, everything was gonna be okay.  
  
Looking around, Xander felt something strange, something powerful. It was a small tingling felling in the back of his head. Normally he'd chalk it up to life on the Hellmouth, but then maybe it an after effect of what he'd been through.  
  
"Xander," Cordelia said softly, "there something I need to tell you."  
  
"It can wait." Xander softly replied.  
  
"No, it can't." Cordelia cut him off. She could see Xander starting to feel back to sleep and so it was either now or never. "Xander Harris, I love you."  
  
Before Cordelia got a response, Xander's eyelids slowly shut enveloping him in blackness once again. At the same time Giles came back with the doctor, who walked over to Xander's side and checked his pulse.  
  
"How long was he awake?" the Doctor asked.  
  
"About a few minutes." Oz replied, "then he fell back to sleep."  
  
"Well luckily he's now in a light sleep." the Doctor said looking over his admission charts. "He's still got a lot to recover from, but this looks like a good start to his recovery."  
  
After a few minutes the Doctor ask the Slayer and her friends to leave, Xander need his rest.  
  
One thing was certain in their minds as they left the Hospital. Xander was going to need a while to recover from his injuries, and while that was to be expected, they would give him all the support, love and attention that any respected member of the Scooby gang deserved. 


	2. Passion For Life

Passion For Life by Andy Johnson  
  
Author's Note: Okay, this is the continuation of the "Alternative Series" following on from Split Second Choices. This contains extracts from a Buffy episode written by TY King and directed by Michael Gershman.  
  
Feedback: Yes please ... the more, the merrier  
  
Spoilers: Buffy Season 2, Passion  
  
Distribution: Email me and it's all yours *S* .....  
  
~~~~~ Teaser ~~~~~  
  
"In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."  
  
It had been a couple of weeks since Xander was let out of hospital, and although he was happy he was back in reality, he wasn't happy about the fact he was confined to a wheelchair.  
  
Since then, Buffy and his friends had been around him constantly, and Cordelia never left his side for a moment .. well especially since they kinda had a lot to talk about since she told him that she loved him.  
  
They'd spent the evening in the Bronze to relax and have a good time while a song by Morcheeba played in the background.  
  
Think I slip the net  
But I cut myself free  
  
Cordelia snuggled close to Xander as they watched Buffy, Willow and Oz dance on the dance floor.  
  
I'm not losing yet  
So don't forget me  
I'll say it, replay it...  
  
As they were engrossed in their fun and relaxation, none of them noticed the shadowy figure near the back of the club watching them in silence. It was Angelus.  
  
Passion.  
  
...and try tomorrow  
  
It lies in all of us.  
  
I'll say it, replay it...  
  
Sleeping...  
  
...and live with sorrow  
  
...waiting... And though unwanted...  
  
You'd think I'd learn by now  
  
...unbidden... it will stir...  
  
There's never an easy way  
  
Not taking his eyes of Buffy, Angelus slowly moved around the back and round to the front entrance.  
  
...open its jaws, and howl.  
  
I'll get through somehow  
I'm on my knees to pray  
  
The song finished and Buffy, Willow and Oz walked back to Xander and Cordelia. Their fun and enjoyment for the night had drawn to a close and it was time to go home.  
  
Buffy came out of the Bronze with Willow and Oz arm in arm following closely behind and Cordy helping Xander with pushing his wheelchair right behind them. They walk past a young looking couple engaged in a heated kiss, and after they pass, the man raised his head from where it laid .. but the man in question was in no way kissing, but rather feeding.  
  
Angelus casually let the body of the dead woman fall to the pavement as he stepped out back into the alley and watched the group walk away. With a gleam in his eye, he morphed back into his human expression and quietly followed them.  
  
It was late at night as Buffy Summers slept soundly in her bed, completely unaware that Angelus after following them from the Bronze was now sitting on her bed next to her sleeping form, smiling softly.  
  
It speaks to us... guides us... Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have?  
  
~~~~~ Part 1 ~~~~~  
  
It was the following morning when Buffy slowly awoke from her peaceful slumber to yet another beautifully sunny morning. She looked over to check the time, but her eyesight instead fell upon an envelope that had been placed on her pillow. She sat up slightly in her bed and examined the envelope, it was cream in colour and it had no name printed on it. Deciding it was for her, she opened it up and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Opening it up, her mind still slightly not there she had to stare at it for a few moments before it hit her .. it was a pencil drawing of her sleeping in her bed.  
  
~ Sunnydale High Library, That Morning ~  
  
"He was in my room." Buffy said entering the Library.  
  
Inside the Library, Giles stood behind the counter checking in several new occult volumes, while sitting at the table was Cordelia and Xander. As Buffy walked past Giles looked up, his attention caught by his Slayer.  
  
"Who?" Giles asked.  
  
"Angel. He was in my room last night."  
  
Giles finished what he was doing and walked around from the behind the counter to the table.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive. When I woke up, I found a picture he'd left me on my pillow." Buffy said pulling the picture out of her bag.  
  
"A visit from the pointed-tooth fairy." Xander commented idly.  
  
"Wait," Cordelia said suddenly. "I thought vampires couldn't come in unless you invited   
them in."  
  
"Yes," Giles clarified, "but, uh, once you've invited them in, thereafter they're, they're always welcome."  
  
"Y'know," Xander said. "I think there may be a valuable lesson for you gals here about inviting strange men into your bedrooms."  
  
"I invited you didn't I?" Cordelia said looking at her boyfriend.  
  
"Yeah, but Cor, we've known each other since kindergarten!"  
  
"Oh, yeah," Cordelia said planting a soft kiss on his lips.  
  
"Giles," Buffy said looking at her Watcher, "there has to be some sort of spell to reverse the invitation, right? Like a barrier, a no shoes, no pulse, no service kind of thing?"  
  
"Yeah, that works for a car, too?" Cordelia added.  
  
"Yes, well, I-I-I could check on my..."  
  
"Hello!" Xander said suddenly.  
  
They all looked behind them and saw Jonathan and another student entering into the Library.  
  
"Excuse me, but have you ever heard of knocking?" Xander said looking at them both.  
  
"We're supposed to get some books." Jonathan nervously said looking at the rows of books in front of him. "On Stalin."  
  
"Does this look like a Barnes & Noble?" Xander quipped.  
  
"This is a school library, Xander." suddenly spoke up.  
  
"Since when?"  
  
"Uh, y-yes, yes, uh, third row." Giles said answering Jonathan's question. "Historical biographies."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Jonathan and the girl walked past and into the upper stacks while the Scooby gang watched them silently. When they were out of sight Xander pointed to the Library doors as Cordelia gathered her books and help Xander.  
  
Giles looked at Buffy with genuine confusement, but followed the Slayer out.  
  
"Hey, did you say that was the..." Jonathan said poking his head out of the stacks to see a now empty Library. "Hello?"  
  
Outside Xander, Cordelia, Buffy and Giles were talking as they walked down the corridor.  
  
"So Angel has decided to step up his harassment of you?" Giles mused as he thought back to the picture Angelus had left Buffy.  
  
"By sneaking in her room and leaving stuff at night?" Cordelia asked rhetorically. "Why   
doesn't he just slit her throat or strangle her while she's sleeping or cut her heart out?" She stopped babbling when she received silent stares from the rest of the gang. "What? I'm trying to help."  
  
"Yes." Giles said trying to segue-way to the original conversation. "Uh, uh, look, it's-it's classic battle strategy to throw one's opponent off his game. He-he-he's just trying to provoke you. Uh, to taunt you, to, to goad you into, uh, some mishap of some sort."  
  
"The nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah approach to battle." Xander joked looking over the side of his wheelchair.  
  
"Yes, Xander, once more you've managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form." Giles simply replied looking down at the young boy only to receive a typically-impish grin from him.  
  
"Giles, Angel once told me that when he was obsessed with Drusilla, the first thing h-he did was to kill her family."  
  
"Your mum." Xander said seriously.  
  
"I know. I'm gonna have to tell her something. The truth?" Buffy said stopping at a nearby wall.  
  
"No." Giles replied quickly. "You-you-you-you can't do that."  
  
"Yeah." Xander agreed. "The more people who know the secret, the more it cheapens it for the rest of us."  
  
"But I've gotta tell her something." Buffy said in her defence. "I've gotta do something. Giles, Angel has an all-access pass to my house, and I'm not always there when my mother is. I can't protect her."  
  
"I told you I will find a-a spell." Giles said getting slightly flustered.  
  
"What about until you find a spell?" Buffy pushed.  
  
"Until then, you and your mother are welcome to ride around with me and Xander in my car." Cordelia offered.  
  
"Buffy, I-I understand your concern, but it's imperative that you keep a level head through all this."  
  
"That's easy for you to say. You don't have Angel lurking in your bedroom at night."  
  
"I know how hard this is for you." Giles said getting a silent look from Buffy. "All right, I don't. But as the Slayer, you don't have the luxury of being a slave to your, your passions. You mustn't let Angel get to you. No matter how provocative his behavior may become."  
  
"So what you're basically saying is, 'just ignore him, and maybe he'll go away'?"  
  
"Yes. Precisely." Giles commented not knowing what else to say.  
  
"Hey, how come Buffy doesn't get a snotty 'once again you boil it down to the simplest form' thing?"  
  
Buffy and Giles both looked down slightly at their friend.  
  
"Watcher's pet." Xander mocked.  
  
"Is your next session later on today?" Giles said resuming their walk.  
  
"Yeah," Xander replied looking up at the Librarian, "we got the happy-swinging Hospital physio later on."  
  
"Do you want me to come along?" Cordelia asked looking down at him.  
  
"Nah, you don't have to Cor," Xander replied, knowing how action packed her girlfriend's day usually were.   
  
"Please, I want to." Cordelia said.  
  
"Then," Xander said after a minute. "Sure. I'd like the company."  
  
~ Computer Science Class, A Little Later ~  
  
"Don't forget, I need your sample spreadsheets by the end of the week." Jenny said as she wrapped up another class for the day.  
  
At that, the bell sounded and the students stood up and made a beeline for the exit.  
  
"Oh, and I want both a paper printout and a copy on disk. Thank you."  
  
As the kids left Jenny made a quick move to get Willow's attention for a few moments.0  
  
"Willow." she said as the last of the kids left.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Um, I might be a little late tomorrow. Do you think you could cover my class till I show?"  
  
"Really? Me?" Willow said grinning broadly. "Teach the class? Sure!"  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Oh, wait." Willow said, suddenly getting apprehensive. "W-what if they don't recognize my authority? What if they try to convince me that you always let them leave class early? What if there's a fire drill? What if there's a fire?"  
  
"Willow, you're gonna be fine." Jenny said reassuringly. "And I'll try not to   
be too late, okay?"  
  
"Okay. Good. Earlier is good. Will I have the power to assign detention? Or make 'em run laps?"  
  
"Hey, Will." Buffy's voice greeted at the door.  
  
With that greeting, both Willow and Jenny looked up at the doorway.  
  
"Hi, Buffy. Rupert." Jenny said, slightly hesitantly.  
  
"Willow," Buffy said ignoring Jenny's greeting. "I thought I might take in a class. Figured I could use someone who knows where they are."  
  
"Sorry." Willow said slipping out of the classroom. "I have to talk to her. She's a teacher, and teachers are to be respected .. "  
  
As they started down the corridor Giles took a slight breath and cautiously entered the room with his hands in his pockets.  
  
"How have you been?" Jenny asked.  
  
"Uh, not so good" Giles answered. "Actually. Uh, since Angel lost his soul, he's regained his sense of whimsy."  
  
"Well, that sounds bad." Jenny said crossing her arms across her chest.  
  
"He's been in Buffy's bedroom. I-I-I need to drum up a spell to, uh, keep him out of the house."  
  
Hearing that Jenny sighed slightly and looked down at her desk where her eyes fell upon a small well-read leather bound book. She picked it up and handed it to Giles.  
  
"This might help. I've been doing a little reading since Angel changed. I don't think you have that one."  
  
"Thank you." Giles thanked her thumbing through the pages.  
  
"So, how's Buffy doing?" Jenny asked,  
  
"How do you think?" Giles replied closing the book and returning his glance to Jenny.  
  
"I know you feel betrayed." Jenny said looking away slightly, remembering what her part in turning Angelus bad again was.  
  
"Yes. Well, that's one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal."  
  
"Rupert... I was raised by the people that Angel hurt the most. My duty to them was the first thing I was ever taught. I didn't come here to hurt anyone, a-and I lied to you because I thought it was the right thing to do. I... I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know I was gonna fall in love with you."  
  
Jenny was extremely nervous and was speaking before thinking, and so that little fact of her loving Giles was blurted out before she even realised it.  
  
"Oh, God. Is it too late to take that back?"  
  
"Do you want to?" Giles said pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.  
  
"I just wanna be right with you." Jenny said looking at him with nothing but want of forgiveness in her eyes. "I don't expect more. I just want so badly to make all this up to you."  
  
"I understand. But I'm not the one you need to make it up to. Thank you for the book."  
  
With that Giles turned and walked out of the classroom, leaving Jenny on her own.  
  
~ Willow's Bedroom, That Night ~  
  
Willow was walking around in her room dressed in her pajamas, while talking to Buffy on a cordless phone.  
  
"I agree with Giles." Willow was saying. "You need to just try and not let him get to you. Angel's only doing this to try to get you to do something stupid. I swear, men can be such jerks sometimes. Dead or alive.  
  
"I just hope Giles can find a keep-out spell soon." Buffy said on the other end of the line. "Hey, changing the subject, do you know anything about Xander and the Hospital visit today?"   
  
Willow walked over to her desk and picked up a bottle of fish food flakes, then walked softly over to her fish tank.  
  
"Well I called Xander's earlier on and apparently it went well. He said that with any luck he be on crutches in two or three weeks time."  
  
"That's good news," Buffy said happily.  
  
"Yeah that is," Willow said putting the bottle down next to the tank and looking around the room again. "Xander said he was sick to death of being wheeled around everywhere .. though I don't think he was complaining all that much."  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said giggling, "I bet. Especially with 'Nurse Cordelia' hovering over him hand and foot."  
  
"Yuck, I don't think I wanna .." Willow stopped talking in her tracks as she looked down on her pillow and noticed a cream coloured envelope laying there.  
  
"Wanna what?" Buffy said after a couple seconds of silence. "Willow?"  
  
Willow gripped the phone between her neck as she reached down and picked up the envelope, then carefully opening the flap.  
  
"Willow?" Buffy repeated.  
  
Willow turned back as she started pilling out the contents of the envelope so she was facing the tank again. Inside the envelope laid a small thin piece of string which Willow pulled out slowly. As the string emerged Willow didn't fail to notice her fish that was strung together, one after anther.  
  
Seeing that, Willow loosened the grip of the phone which fell with a bounce on the floor.  
  
~ Magic Shop, The Following Day ~  
  
A small bell chimed as the door opened of the shop, and Jenny Calendar entered inside.  
  
"Welcome." the shopkeeper greeted with a slight accent. "How may I serve you today? Love potion? Perhaps a voodoo doll for that unfaithful..."  
  
"I need an Orb of Thesulah." Jenny said interrupting his spiel.  
  
"Oh, you're in the trade." the shopkeeper said reverting to his natural accent. "Sorry about the spiel, but around Valentine's Day, I get a lot of tourists shopping for love potions and mystical revenge of past lovers. Sad fact is, Ouija boards and rabbits' feet, that's what pay the rent around here. So how did you hear about us?"  
  
"My Uncle Enyos told me about you." Jenny said looking at a few of the pieces.  
  
"So you're Janna, then." he said looking from the back room at Jenny. "Sorry to hear about your uncle."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"He was a good customer." the storekeeper said as he returned to the shop floor. "Well, no, there you go. One Thesulan Orb. Spirit vault for the rituals of the undead. I don't get many calls for those lately. Sold a couple as new age paperweights last year."  
  
Jenny reached into her purse and pulled out her credit card.  
  
"Yeah, I just love those new-agers, boy. They helped to send my youngest to college."  
  
Jenny signed the credit card slip and the storekeeper placed the Thesulan Orb into a paper bag for Jenny.  
  
"By the way, you do know that the transliteration annals for the ritual of the undead were lost. Without the annals, the surviving text is gibberish."  
  
"And without a translated text, the Orbs of Thesulah are pretty much useless. Yeah, I know."  
  
"Well, I only mention it because I have a strict policy of no refunds."  
  
"It's okay." Jenny said reassuringly. "I'm working on a computer program to translate the Rumanian liturgy to English based on a random sampling of the text."  
  
"Yecchh. I don't like computers. They give me the willies."  
  
"Well, thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
As Jenny walked towards the door she took the book out of the paper bag and opened it up slightly so she could see the Orb.  
  
"By the way..." the shopkeeper called as she reached the door. "Not that it's any of my business, really, but, uh, what are you planning on conjuring up? If you can decipher the text?"  
  
"A present for a friend of mine." Jenny said picking the Orb out of the box.  
  
"Really? What are you gonna give him?"  
  
She looked at the Orb which began to glow deeply.  
  
"His soul."  
  
~~~~~ Part 2 ~~~~~  
  
Next morning outside Sunnydale High, both Buffy and Willow walked up the stairs, both a little tired after that night's previous nights' events.  
  
"We'll get things sorted out, right?" Buffy said looking at Willow.  
  
"Oh course. Things will turn out,"  
  
"Well, good morning, ladies." Xander said suddenly as he appeared behind them in his wheelchair. "And what did you two do last night?"  
  
"We had kind of a 'pajama party sleepover with weapons' thing." Willow replied looking at his friend, and wondering what was missing.  
  
"Oh. And I don't suppose either of you had the presence of mind to locate a camera to capture the moment." Xander added.  
  
"Where's Cordelia?" Buffy asked suddenly aware that she wasn't there.  
  
"Er, she's just .." Xander started.  
  
".. Do I have to wheel clamp your wheelchair Xander?" Cordelia huffed as she appeared behind Xander.  
  
"Hey Cordy," Buffy greeted.  
  
"Hey Buff, hi Willow," Cordelia greeted in return.  
  
"I have to go." Willow said looking down at her watch. "I have a class to teach in about five minutes, and I have to arrive early to glare disapprovingly at the stragglers." Willow picked up her bag and started walking to the building, only to see Jenny walking across the lawn. "Oh, darn. She's here. Five hours of lesson planning yesterday down the drain..."  
  
"You know what?" Buffy said also looking at Jenny, "I'll see you in class."  
  
She left Xander and Cordelia and jogged over to where she was walking.  
  
"Hey." Buffy said as she got near her.  
  
"Hi." Jenny said, caught a little off-guard by her appearance. "Uh, is there something that... Did you want something?"  
  
"Look... " Buffy said hesitantly, trying to think of the right words to say. "I know you feel badly about what happened, and I just wanted to say .. Good. Keep it up."  
  
"Don't worry, I will." Jenny said, a little crestfallen, but not surprised by Buffy's attitude towards her.  
  
"Oh, wait." Buffy suddenly said holding up her hand. "Um... He misses you. He doesn't say anything, I mean, but I know he does. And I don't want him to be lonely. I don't want anyone to."  
  
"Buffy, you know that if I have a chance to make this up..."  
  
"We're... good here." Buffy interrupted. "Let's just leave it."  
  
She walked away into the school, leaving Jenny on her own. Walking through the crowds of school kids she noticed Giles talking with a couple of students while looking for something in his briefcase at the same moment.  
  
"Could you, hang those up please?" Giles said as he pulled out a bundle of flyers and handed them to the students. "Thank you."  
  
"Morning Giles," Buffy said as she approached him.  
  
"Buffy, morning." Giles greeted. "How was your night?"  
  
"Sleepless," Buffy said as they started walking, "but no human fatalities."  
  
At that time Cordelia and Xander comes up to them.  
  
"Hey wheels!" Buffy joked seeing her friend.  
  
"Mornin' Buff-Meister," Xander replied.  
  
"Good morning Xander," Giles greeted, "hello Cordelia. I-I found a ritual to revoke the invitation to vampires."  
  
"Oh, thank goodness." Cordelia said with relief. "I actually had to talk my grandmother into switching cars with me last night."  
  
"The ritual's fairly basic," Giles continued. " It's just the recitation of a few rhyming couplets, burning of, uh, moss herbs, sprinkling of holy water..."  
  
"All stuff I have in my house." Buffy mocked.  
  
"Hanging of crosses..."  
  
~ Computer Science's Class, That Evening ~  
  
The gang had gone home straight after school. Their first stop was at Willow's place to perform the protection spell while Cordelia did the spell in her own car for peace of mind. Then they went straight on to Buffy's place while Cordelia took Xander home to rest.  
  
But while, for the most part the school was empty, there was still one person hard at work.  
  
Jenny was sitting at her desk staring intently at her desktop computer while a translation program was busy working away. She took a sip from a mug of steaming coffee that was sitting just by her arm as her computer beeped asking for some more information. She placed the mug back down and pressed a few buttons before hitting the return key. So caught up in her work, that Jenny didn't notice another person enter through the door.  
  
"Hello." a familiar voice greeted.  
  
Startled, Jenny turned around to see the figure of Giles standing in the doorway. She briefly looked back and pressed a couple of keys which turned on the computer's screensaver, then turned back to him.  
  
"Oh! Hi." Jenny greeted.  
  
"You're working late." Giles said as he took a couple of steps into the class room/  
  
"Special project."  
  
"Oh." Giles said with curiosity. 'What can she be working on at this time of night' Giles thought to himself.  
  
"I spoke to Buffy today." Jenny said changing the subject before Giles had a chance to ask more questions on what she was doing.  
  
"Oh! Yes?" Giles said surprised.  
  
"Mm." Jenny simply said looking away and picking up a pencil. "She said you missed me."  
  
"Well, uh," he said, not really sure what to say about his Slayer. "She's... a meddlesome girl."  
  
"Rupert..." she said looking into his eyes. "Okay, I don't wanna say anything if I'm wrong, but I may have some news. Now, I need to finish up here. Could I see you later?"  
  
"Y-yes, yes." Giles said smiling slightly. "You could stop by my house."  
  
"Okay." Jenny said returning the smile.  
  
"Good." Giles said, smile getting even bigger as he turned and walked out of the school room.  
  
Jenny turned back and carried on working on her computer.  
  
~ Xander's Apartment ~  
  
Cordelia really wanted to take Xander to her home, but only for the sake that she could stay with Xander. Although she did like his place, she didn't really like being in the same place as his constantly drunk parents.  
  
But, after encountering Xander's stubborn streak on the car trip home, she knew that she wasn't going to win and so she took him back to his place to get some rest.  
  
"Xander," Cordelia said as they got into Xander's bedroom. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure thing Cordy," Xander said taking off his jacket and dumping his bag on the floor.  
  
"It's been, like, ages since, what happened to you." Cordelia said softly. "Have you told anybody about it?"   
  
"I'd rather not," Xander simply said, not wanting to dreg up what had happened to him.  
  
"Are you sure, because .."  
  
"Cordy." Xander said stopping her in mid-speech. "I'm sure."  
  
"Okay," Cordelia said smiling sweetly at her boyfriend. She stood up and walked over to him. "I'll see you in the morning?"  
  
"Sure hon," Xander said kissing her tenderly on the kips.  
  
"Night Xan," Cordelia said as she walked out of the bedroom.  
  
With Cordelia out of the bedroom, he pushed himself over towards a small dressing table which had a small bound diary sitting on top. Xander looked up from the diary into a mirror that was sitting in front of him, and his reflection greeted him in return.  
  
In the smallest depths of his mind, cogs were whirring, and thoughts were coming too.  
  
~ Sunnydale High School ~  
  
Jenny was still hard at work translating the Rumanian scripture into English. She tapped several more keys and then sat back. The screen flash up a percentage figure, which almost zipped from one to one hundred percent.  
  
"Come on, come on..." Jenny mumbled to herself quietly.  
  
The percentage bar vanished from the screen and the translated text appeared on the screen next to the original version.  
  
"That's it!" Jenny erupted with a big smile on her face. "It's gonna work! This... will work."  
  
Jenny saved the translated text onto floppy disk, and pressing a couple more buttons, started the printer going. Jenny leant over to the printer and check the document over as it came off the printer, all the while smiling. She could finally make things right, to prove to Buffy and Giles that she was sorry for what had happened to them. Looking back and practically jumped out of her seat at the sight now before her.  
  
"Angel..." she said nervously, trying to make her way to the door. "How did you get in here?"  
  
"I was invited." Angelus said from the back of the class. "The sign in front of the school... 'Formatia trans sicere educatorum.'"  
  
"'Enter all ye who seek knowledge.'" Jenny translated.  
  
"What can I say? I'm a knowledge seeker." Angelus stood up from the seat and slowly made his way towards her.  
  
"Angel, I-I-I've got good news." Jenny said getting more and more frightened by the moment.  
  
"I heard you went shopping at the local boogedy-boogedy store." Angelus said stopping in front of Jenny's desk and picking up the orb. "The Orb of Thesulah. If memory serves, this is supposed to summon a person's soul... from the ether... store it until it can be transferred."  
  
As Angelus stared at the orb it began to glow intently.  
  
"You know what I hate most about these things?"  
  
Without warning, Angelus whipped back his arm and threw the orb at the chalkboard where it completely shattered, making Jenny jump and scream at the same time.  
  
"They're so damn fragile." Angelus continued. "Must be that shoddy gypsy craftsmanship, huh?"  
  
Jenny by now had backed herself against the wall and was trembling with fear. Slowly she started to inch towards the door while Angelus reached over to the PC and turned the monitor round so he could see what was there.  
  
"I never cease to be amazed how much the world has changed in just two and a half centuries. It's a miracle to me. You, you put the secrets to restoring my soul in here..."  
  
With that he suddenly grabbed the computer and pulled it off the desk where it exploded in a violent display of sparks. Then Angelus grabbed the paper that was coming out of the printer and waved it in the air as well.  
  
"… and it comes out here. 'The Ritual of Restoration.' Wow. This, this brings back memories."  
  
"Wait." Jenny tries to stop Angelus. "That's your..."  
  
"Oh, my cure?" Angelus said tearing the document up into pieces. "No, thanks. Been there, done that, and deja vu just isn't what it used to be. My... Isn't this my lucky day. The computer... and the pages. Looks like I get to kill two birds with one stone. And teacher makes three."  
  
"No!" Jenny screamed as Angelus dived towards her.  
  
He threw Jenny back into the locked door, which forced it open. Daring a look back, Jenny looked at Angelus, then quickly darted out of the room.  
  
"Oh, good." Angelus said, watching her leave. "I need to work up an appetite first."  
  
Jenny was running, like she'd never ran before. She was running for her life, and she knew without a doubt, that the odds were stacked against her. She was going to die that night and she knew it.  
  
Despite that though, it didn't stop her. It didn't stop her running, because, as always, there was a little spark. A little maybe, that something good will happen, that will protect and save her at the final moment just before her own death.  
  
Jenny continued to run, up a flight of stairs onto the second floor. She dared a look behind her for a split second, but she couldn't see any sign of Angelus at all. She turned a corner, and at that moment, her heart stopped, and froze.  
  
Her moment had come for her.  
  
~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~  
  
Giles was driving back to his home after stopping off at Buffy's home to see how things were. Apparently things turned out well, with the slight exception of Angelus turning up at the doorstep and telling Joyce that he and Buffy had slept together.   
  
Before that, he'd actually stopped by at Cordy's to check up on Xander as he thought he'd be there, but Cordelia had told him he was at his place.  
  
When they'd tried to phone him, they were only slightly surprised that there was no answer from the phone. The Harris' were too usually drunk to notice the existence of the ringing phone let alone know where it was, so they concluded that Xander was fast asleep.  
  
Giles pulled up outside his apartment stopped for a moment reflecting on the conversation he had earlier with Jenny at the school.  
  
It was true, he had missed her. He had missed being with her. Not seeing that smile she has when she sees him, that weird way she made him feel, the whole nine yards. And the thought that he'd feel that way again .. made him feel good inside again.  
  
Collecting his tweed jacket and bag, he opened the door and got out of his car. Then turning around he walked the short distance to his apartment. As he got closer, he could hear the faint sound of a telephone ringing from inside his apartment. Quickly digging through his pockets he pulled out his keys and swing the door open with a fury so he could quickly answer the phone.  
  
"Hello?" Giles quickly answered. "Rupert Giles here."  
  
There was a slight noise on the line, but nobody spoke.  
  
"Hello?" Giles repeated.  
  
"You need to come." a deep voice finally answered.  
  
"Who is this?" Giles asked not recognizing the voice. "Who are you?"  
  
"Come to the school. It's Jenny."  
  
"What!? What about her? Who is this!"  
  
Before Giles answered, the phone line went dead.  
  
Not thinking what really was going on Giles quickly put the phone down and quickly ran out of the door.  
  
~ Summer's Residence, Same Moment ~  
  
"So, what you got planned for tomorrow?" Willow asked Buffy.  
  
They were both sitting on the Slayer's bed watching the quality that was evening cable television. Tomorrow was the weekend, the only two days of the week when the Buffy and her friends had nothing taxing except for the question 'what shall we do this weekend?'.  
  
"I dunno," Buffy answered. "Maybe go to the Mall, shop some, just hang. What about you?"  
  
"Well, I think Oz is practicing tomorrow. I'm gonna go and watch them."  
  
Just then, the phone began ringing but Buffy decided to ignore it considering her mum would answer it first.  
  
"Do y'a maybe wanna go to the Bronze tomorrow night with the others?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yeah, that'll be neat."  
  
"Buffy." Joyce suddenly called.  
  
"Yeah mum."  
  
"You've a telephone call from someone."  
  
Buffy and Willow exchanged looks.  
  
"Maybe it's Xander, or Cordy," Willow pondered, "or maybe Giles."  
  
Buffty leaned over and picked up the phone from the cradle. "Okay mum, got it." Buffy called out. "Hello."  
  
"You need to come." a voice answered.  
  
"Okay," Buffy said not recognizing the voice. "Who are you, and where an I supposed to come to?"  
  
"Who I am is unimportant, but I suggest that you get to the High School as soon as possible."  
  
"Why?" Buffy said, a little irritated that the mystery person still hasn't identified themselves and Buffy still doesn't know who it was.  
  
"It's about Angel!" the voice simply said before the line went dead.  
  
"Buffy." Willow quietly said. "Buffy."  
  
"Huh?" Buffy finally said, not really concentrating on the words Willow were saying.  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"I .. They didn't say." Buffy muttered.  
  
"Are you okay?" Willow said turning to her friend.  
  
"They said. I had to go to the school. Something about Angel!"  
  
"What about him Buffy?" Willow asked in a confused tone.  
  
"I don't know," Buffy said hopping off her bed and going to her weapons chest. "but I intend to find out."  
  
"I'll call Giles," Willow said picking up the phone and dialing the Watcher's number.  
  
Buffy pulled on her jacket and loaded it up with several stakes along with the usual amount of weapons. Tonight we was expecting trouble.  
  
"Buffy," Willow said after a few moments. "There's no answer from Giles' place. Maybe he's asleep already."  
  
"Okay, then, I guess I'm on my own." Buffy said looking over at Willow.  
  
"You? Don't you mean 'we'?"  
  
"Will, I don't want to put you in danger. This maybe be an Angel trap and I don't wanna get you hurt."  
  
"Don't worry," Willow protested. "Let me call Oz, and we'll go there together. We'll be your backup, okay."  
  
"Sure," Buffy said smiling.  
  
Ten minutes after the call was made, the screeching frame of Giles' car pulled up in front of the High School and before he had a chance to even think, he'd jumped out of the car and began running to the entrance.  
  
All along the way only a single thought was running through the Librarian's mind.  
  
Jenny.  
  
What had happened to her? Is she all right? Maybe something nasty had happened to her. No, no, he didn't want to think that she was anything less than alive. He couldn't live with the thought of the one person he loved, being dead.  
  
Giles continued to run. He was crossing the green that was in front of the entrance of the high school, still in a world totally his own.  
  
There were a few shadows flash on the front wall, but before it registered in Giles' mind a figure crashed into him, knocking him to the ground with a painful grunt.  
  
"What the hell .." Giles spluttered as he tried to get up. He turned his head to the person that ran into him and he came nose to nose suddenly with his charge. "Buffy!" he said shocked at her appearance.  
  
"Giles!" Buffy said with the same shocked voice.  
  
Giles looked behind him and saw Willow and Oz loaded with weaponry looking down at the Slayer and Watcher getting up of the ground.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Giles said looking at the three of them.  
  
"I got a phone call," Buffy said looking at Giles. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I got a call also," Giles admitted. "I don't suppose the person who called you, had a, rather low gravelly voice?"  
  
"Yeah." Buffy said slowly. "What did he tell you?"  
  
"He said I had to get here as soon as," Giles said. "Something to do with Jenny. What about you?"  
  
"I got the same call." Buffy said looking back at Oz and Willow. "But, about Angel."  
  
"This could definitely be a trap guys." Oz said.  
  
"You got weapons?" Buffy asked Giles.  
  
"Yes." Giles said looking at the entrance. "Let's go carefully."  
  
With that all four of them carefully walked into the school, what awaited them, they didn't know.   
  
~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~  
  
"Where do we start from?" Willow asked as they stepped through the cafeteria.  
  
"The last time I saw Jenny was in her class. Let's go there and then look around."  
  
"Okay," Buffy agreed.  
  
They turned the corner and walked down towards room one-eleven, computer sciences.  
  
When they got there, they were in for a surprise. There had been a disturbance in there. Jenny's computer had been completely smashed and was smoldering on the floor.  
  
"What's happened here?" Giles said looking at the carnage.  
  
"I don't know." Buffy said looking back into the corridor. "Let's find Ms. Calendar."  
  
"Jenny?" Giles called out as they started walking down the corridor. No answer.  
  
"Up that way?" Oz suggested pointed to a nearby stairwell.  
  
"Sure," Giles said looking where Oz pointed.  
  
"Hey, I was wondering," Willow said quietly as they walked. "Can we assume that this mystery person knows us in some respect?"  
  
"Why do you say that Willow?" Giles asked, not really getting what Willow was saying.  
  
"Well, this person knows enough about you and Jenny," she said to Giles, "and they know about you Buffy and Angel. Plus whoever knows both your numbers."  
  
"Xander?" Oz said out aloud.  
  
"Don't think so." Buffy said. "It didn't sound like him."  
  
"No," Giles agreed.  
  
They reached the second floor of the school and started searching along the darkened corridors for any sign of Jenny. Buffy was also looking for Angel, though in his present state she wouldn't expect him to be hanging around, unless of course as she suspected, it was a trap to kill the gang, with Jenny as the bait.  
  
"This is giving me the major wiggins." Buffy muttered as she looked inside one of the biology labs. "Ms. Calendar?"  
  
There was no reply. Buffy closed the door and continued the search with the rest of the gang.  
  
~ Chase Residence ~  
  
Cordelia sighed softly to herself as she glanced at her clock. Ten in the evening. The streets of Sunnydale were officially empty by this time, with the exception of the Vampires and other creatures of the night which now loitered around the town like an unbearable stench. She looked out the window one time, to be absolutely sure there were no more signs of life, and then shut off the outdoor light. Both of her parents were off in Los Angeles on some sort of conference and so she had free reign of the house until they returned.  
  
"Time for bed," she whispered aloud.  
  
She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, reminiscing. 'If Xander were here, he'd come and hold me tonight,' Cordelia thought to herself. She walked over and picked the cordless phone up from it's cradle. From where she held it, she could hear the gentle sounds of the dial tone, but she didn't dial his number. She had tried to contact him earlier, but nobody answered, so she thought he was sound asleep. Taking her eyes away from the handset, Cordelia softly replaced the phone in it's cradle.  
  
A cold breeze whipped over the back of Cordelia's neck. She at first curled her jacket closer around her, but it wasn't enough to keep her warm. She decided it was time to get into her nightgown and go to sleep. She was never usually up this late, but heck, with the parents away and no school day the following day, she thought she'd stay up a little late that night.  
  
Cordy set to work turning out all the lights. As she turned out the lights in the kitchen, she paused and looked at the moon. It was so beautiful, large, round, white and bright. It seemed to glow more than usual.  
  
'Xander always has a thing for the moon,' Cordelia thought to herself. Xander loved the night, unlike most people who feared it. Xander had always told Cordy that the night was a time of calm and of wonderful dreams, and he made his Cordy feel safe. That was one of the reasons Cordelia loved Xander so much. Xander gave her a safe place where she could be who she wanted to be.  
  
But not tonight. Tonight, sweet Cordelia Chase was alone.  
  
Cordelia's clothes had been neatly placed into the hamper. The bathroom was thick with steam. Cordelia stood naked under the shower head, closing her eyes and feeling the comfortably hot water flow over her body. She leaned her head back and rinsed the shampoo out of her long flowing hair.  
  
She opened her eyes and watched the white foam begin to flow on the ground around her feet and into the drain. Before long, the foam dissipated leaving just the warm water flowing all over her soft skin. Cordelia listened to the sound of the running water and could feel her mind beginning to drift.   
  
~~~~~  
  
The two of them were huddled together closed on a blanket on the nearby beach. The only light came from the moon that shone over them like a soft torch light. The only sounds were the crashing waves, and their own voices.  
  
"Xand..." Sharon whispered. "I'm a little scared."  
  
"That's okay, my dear," Xander replied, tenderly stroking Sharon's temple. "It's alright to be scared. We are alone here, after all. The moon is our only witness."  
  
"That's not helping," Xander said, with a small nervous giggle.  
  
"But also remember that I have been here before," Xander reassured his love. "And I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you can be at peace." She tipped Cordelia's chin up and looked into her soft brown eyes. "No Vampire, or creepy Demon from Hell will disturb us tonight."  
  
"I know, honey," Cordelia said, looking up into Xander's deep grey eyes. The weird truth was that Vampire's or Demons usually never go as far as the beach unless there was a large get together of people. "But I can't help my nerves. I'm not used to it being so dark..."  
  
Xander gave a soft, sweet laugh. Then he rolled around so she was behind Cordelia. He wrapped his long arms around Cordy's round body and brought her down. Soon the two were laying, cuddled up like a pair of spoons, right next to the beach.  
  
"Can you hear the sound of the sea?" Xander whispered to Cordelia.  
  
A soft, flowing sound. "Yes," Cordelia whispered back. "I hear it."  
  
"Listen to the sea, my love," Xander said. "The water's gentle rush. Very relaxing. It just flows .. and drifts away under the watch of the moon. Feel it as you listen, my love... listen and feel..."  
  
"Drifty," Cordelia heard herself say. Then Xander's voice continued. His beautiful, sweet voice. Listen and feel, his voice told her. Cordelia did so.  
  
"The water flows on and on," Xander whispered. "You feel it... you feel it happening to you. You feel your concerns and fears slip away like water was washing them away... washing you away... flowing over you... and with you..."  
  
This really was relaxing... she could feel the drift, the flow of the water... washing away her troubles and cares, and almost... almost wash her away, too... such a wonderful feeling... Cordelia wanted it to happen... but she didn't want to flow... away from her Xander...  
  
"Oh darling... you'll be safe... you'll always be safe... I am watching over you... just as the moon watches over the river... no harm shall came to you..."  
  
"You know Xander," Cordelia mumbled softly. "For a person who's a dork a school, you've got this personality that's so completely different that nobody knows about."  
  
Xander didn't answer that, he just giggled softly and pulled her closer to him, softly kissing her bare and exposed neck.  
  
Cordelia moaned softly. It was so true. Xander was her moon, guiding her along. She felt the light of Xander's love. Another moan... and a heat from deep within. Passion blossomed like a flower inside of her as she realized... how wet she was... soft mewls like bubbles in the river as Cordelia flowed, along with Xander, to his pull... safe, warm, wet and so close to each other...  
  
A beautiful dream in the darkness...  
  
And the sea rolled back and fourth...  
  
~~~~~  
  
Cordelia's eyes fluttered open again. They were swollen and full of tears. The water had become lukewarm. She slowly withdrew her hand from her sex and turned off the shower. She stepped out and wrapped a pink towel around herself. She paused and wiped the steam off the mirror so she could look at herself.  
  
A pair of sad brown eyes gazed back at her. She could hear Xander's voice so clearly every so often. But it was always just a dream... no, a phantom of the past. Dreams were beautiful and alive. Xander had taught her that.  
  
But Cordelia hadn't had any dreams. Just memories.  
  
"Oh Xander," Cordelia whispered to her reflection. "Why aren't you here when I need you the most? I really want to be with you again tonight."  
  
Cordelia was ready for bed. Her long hair was done up in two ponytails. She wore a long red flannel nightgown to keep the cold out, and as always, her bedtime slippers - fluffy Bugs Bunny ones that Xander had given her a few month's ago. She never felt particularly sexy in this get-up, but Xander always thought she was most beautiful when she was about to go to sleep for the night.  
  
What are you dreaming of Xander?  
  
Cordelia looked up at the moon again. Xander had changed her life. Before him, Cordelia was the ultimate bitch of Sunnydale High. She had to be the best … number one at everything - Homecoming Queen, May Queen. You name it, she competed for it .. even for her men. She'd known Xander since kindergarden, but for the longest time the best their relationship was comparable to that of the 'Odd Couple' with respect that she just tolerated him.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The moon shone down on the of them in the sleeping bag. The wind was steady but gentle. No sound but the occasional chirp and the soft sound of the wind. The lake in the distance shimmered with moonlight.  
  
Cordelia curled her arms around Xander and whined.  
  
"What's wrong, baby?" Xander asked.  
  
"Mmmmmmmm," Cordelia moaned and looked at Xander through half closed eyes. "I really want to play, but I'm so tired... I don't wanna sleep..."  
  
Xander laughed another warm laugh. "What do you think of dreams, Cordy?"  
  
"Dreams?" Cordelia whimpered. "They're just... just weird stuff you see while you sleep..."  
  
Xander chuckled and began to stroke Cordelia's temple. "Trying to make sense of everything only takes the beauty out of it. Science has been really bad to dreams."  
Cordelia purred when she felt fingers slide down her tummy.  
  
Xander went on. "Dreams are the realm of your feelings - your true feelings, not bogged down by things like order and 'sense'."  
  
"You think... order and sense are bad?" Cordelia whispered, trying very hard to listen.  
  
"No, I don't think they're bad," Xander said with a sigh. "It's true that humanity wouldn't have progressed and improved this much without all that order and sense. But sometimes... I just wonder if it's worth it."  
  
Cordelia touched Xander's hand with hers, and looked up at him. She could understand what he was saying... but her mind was slowly giving in to the desire to rest...  
  
Xander kissed her nose and then looked skyward. "We're trying so hard to make everything perfect that we're missing the beauty of the world the way it is. People don't stop to smell the flowers or to listen to the wind blow or to watch a sunset anymore. And they're missing... they're missing a lot."  
  
Cordelia smiled. She felt like that a lot too. She moaned softly and nuzzled Xander's shoulder, hoping he would know that she understood.  
  
"That's why I love dreams," Xander continued. "Things... feel right in dreams. They may not make sense, but they feel right. And that's really important. Maybe the most important thing of all. I love you dearly, and those feelings flow through me so freely when I am asleep. And deep down, I know you feel the same way too."  
  
'Oh yes,' thought Cordy. 'Oh yes... I am so proud to be part of your dreams. I want to learn more about dreams. Show me, Xander. I love you. I love you.'  
  
"Sometimes," Xander whispered in a hush. "I feel like I am most alive when I am dreaming..." He chuckled softly, and turned to Cordelia. "Or am I just nutty?"  
Cordy was asleep, purring ever so quietly and contentedly.  
  
Xander kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you, my star child," he said. And then drifted away himself...  
  
~~~~~  
  
Cordy cried quietly. "What's wrong with me?' she said to herself, "It's not as if I'll never see Xander again." She got up from the bed and eyed the clock. 10.43. She'd never wake and turned off the shower. She stepped out and wrapped a pink towel around herself. She paused and wiped the steam off the mirror so she could look at herself.  
  
A pair of sad brown eyes gazed back at her. She could hear Xander's voice so clearly every so often. But it was always just a dream... no, a phantom of the past. Dreams were beautiful and alive. Xander had taught her that.  
  
But Cordelia hadn't had any dreams. Just memories.  
  
"Oh Xander," Cordelia whispered to her reflection. "Why aren't you here when I need you the most? I really want to be with you again tonight."  
  
Cordelia was ready for bed. Her long hair was done up in two ponytails. She wore a long red flannel nightgown to keep the cold out, and as always, her bedtime slippers - fluffy Bugs Bunny ones that Xander had given her a few month's ago. She never felt par instantly to see if she was still alive. Buffy followed, but kept her distance as she recognized the long dark jacket covering the other body. It was Angelus.  
  
"Thank goodness," Giles exclaimed, smiling for the first time since they arrived. "She's alive."  
  
"Buffy," Willow said looking back at her friend who seemed as still as a statue. "What do you want to do?"  
  
Not answering, Buffy drew a stake from the inside of her jacket and took a few steps towards the Vampire.  
  
"Be careful," Willow said worriedly.  
  
"Hey guys," Oz said looking towards Angelus. "What's that?"  
  
Laying just a few feet from the still body of Buffy's former boyfriend laid a small round object made entirely from glass.  
  
"Isn't that .." Giles started saying.  
  
".. an Orb of Thesulah." groaned Jenny as she slowly regained consciousness.  
  
"Jenny." Giles said looking down at her. "Take it easy you were unconscious."  
  
"Giles," Buffy said as she knelt beside the Orb. "What is this Orb of Thesulah?"  
  
"Well," Giles said looking back up at the Slayer. "It's used primarily in rituals that call for somebody or something to be given back their soul. But the specific incantation was lost ages ago. I'm not even sure if it exists in any form other than the original Romanian."  
  
"That's not exactly true." Jenny said a little weakly.  
  
"I don't understand." Willow said, confused.  
  
"You have a copy of this spell," Buffy said looking at Jenny. "In English?"  
  
"Had." Jenny corrected. "Angelus surprised me in my class and destroyed my computer which had the translation program I used on it, he then burnt the printed copy that I was making. He even smashed my Orb that I purchased at the Magic Shop earlier on today."  
  
"Then, who's Orb is that?" Oz asked pointing at it.  
  
"I can't remember," Jenny said looking around the hallway. "Things are still a little hazy."  
  
"What do you remember?" Giles asked, softly running his fingers through her hair.  
  
~ 50 Minutes Earlier ~  
  
Jenny continued to run, up a flight of stairs onto the second floor. She dared a look behind her for a split second, but she couldn't see any sign of Angelus at all. She turned a corner, and at that moment, her heart stopped, and froze.  
  
Her moment had come for her.  
  
Standing in the shadows, he was there, tall and opposing. Her Grim Reaper was here, with fangs for a Scythe. For years she represented completely what Angelus had hated. Her clan, who had given him the curse of humanity. The soul, to make him remember and suffer through all those deaths.  
  
And now that is all behind him, he was back to make his revenge upon her.  
  
But nothing.  
  
He spoke no words, he didn't drink her blood.  
  
The shadowed figure slowly raised his left arm, and in his palm was nestled a small crystal orb which shone brilliantly.  
  
"An Orb of Thesulah," Jenny muttered. "Angelus?"  
  
"No," the stranger replied.  
  
Jenny thought she recognized the voice, but it was so low, that she couldn't make out the accent properly. "Who are you?"  
  
Instead of answering the dark figure threw it's gaze down towards the Orb. "He is approaching," it spoke quietly. "This is not the road for Angel, he has a much different path. Angel represents an obstacle that must be removed from the equation."  
  
"What path? What do you mean?" Jenny asked, still unsure of the accent.  
  
Again, it didn't answer her question but kept on looking at the Orb. "He appeoaches."  
  
"Then let's go!" Jenny exclaimed looking to see where Angelus would come from. She approached the dark figure, but he moved back away from her.  
  
"We're not going anywhere." the dark figure replied.  
  
"He'll kill us!"  
  
"Quod perditum est, invenietur," the dark figure recited.  
  
"The curse." Jenny realised in amazement. "You know the curse?"  
  
"Not dead, nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum, I call. Let him know the pain of humanity, gods. Reach your wizened hands to me. Give me the sword that I might smite him down."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Angelus was still on the hunt for Jenny, but after running into the Janitor of the school, he couldn't help but to have a little snack before the main meal.  
  
He walked boldly along the corridor following Jenny's scent, the scent of her fear. It was like a fine aroma that she gave off just for him to smell, and he loved every moment. He was getting close, and it was only a matter of time before he was drinking the blood of the Watcher's girlfriend.  
  
Suddenly he felt a wave a nausea wash over him, something wasn't right, something was happening to him .. something mystical. He was being cursed again.  
  
"That bitch!" Angelus spat angrily as he started running along the corridor in an attempt to reach Jenny before the ritual was completed.  
  
He remembered what it was like before, when he had that wretched soul, and he didn't intend on having it back again.  
  
He climbed the stairs to the second level and started running down the corridor, his Vampire eyesight making it possible for him to see as if it were daytime. At the far end he saw Jenny staring back at him, her eyes wide with fright .. and yet she wasn't making an attempt to run away .. and he knew why.  
  
Standing in front of her stood a second figure, but it had it's back to Angelus so he couldn't see who it was.  
  
As he ran, his eyesight began to get foggy and his footfalls began to get unsteady, the curse was almost over. He tried to speed up, but his strength was rapidly diminishing.  
  
And then, the final two words that sealed his doom.  
  
"Arcurum .. ARCURUM!" The stranger held the Orb of Thesulah out to his left so Angelus could see it.  
  
The Orb flashed a brilliant white for a moment illuminating the hall like a brilliant flare, and then just a quickly darkness returned .. and Angelus was dead .. again.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Deciding not to take a chance, Buffy, Giles and the rest of the gang helped Jenny out of the school and left Angel behind as they weren't sure whether he was Angelus or Angel.  
  
~~~~~ Part 5 ~~~~~  
  
The following evening Buffy and the gang were sitting at the Bronze still talking about what had happened the night before.  
  
"So like nobody knows who this mystery person was?" Cordelia said as she took a sip from her soda.  
  
"Nope. Just another Sunnydale mystery," Buffy replied. "But enough about that, where on earth is our Xander. We're seeing less and less of him. Is he alright?"  
  
"I was with him all day," Cordy said not really taking much notice of the glances from the rest of the gang. "But yeah, he was a little quiet, even with me. Maybe we need to force him out for some friend fun."  
  
"I definitely agree." Willow said nodding approvingly.  
  
"I second that," Oz also said.  
  
"Who's up for a dance?" Buffy said looking over to the dance floor.  
  
After a quick glance the gang shot up from the table and over to the dance floor.  
  
While they did, they didn't notice the presence of a dark figure on the balcony leaning over and staring down at the group enjoying themselves. All smiles and laughter as just for a few short moments, they turned their backs on their cares and worries.  
  
"Laugh all you want," the dark figure sneered. "Soon my time will come, and then, the only thing you'll be doing is crying .. for your pitiful lives to end." 


	3. Destiny's Childe, Part I

Destiny's Childe by Andy Johnson  
  
Author's Note: Part Three, immediate continuation from Passion for Life. The waiting game is on for the new "Master" of Sunnydale to rise and reign supreme over the town. Meanwhile life takes a strange turn for one and a horrifying turn for another.  
  
Feedback: Yes please ... the more, the merrier  
  
Spoilers: T.B.C.  
  
Distribution: Email me and it's all yours *S* .....  
  
~~~~~ Teaser ~~~~~  
  
"In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."  
  
Despite being the height of summer and most of the demon populous being somewhere other than the Hellmouth, Willy's place was without a doubt the most rocking place in town. You couldn't squeeze a demon in there even if you tried, and Willy was absolutely over the moon to see such a buzzing atmosphere.  
  
A medium sized, two headed demon made his way over to the bar and called out to Willy. "Two of the usual Willy"  
  
"Yeah, sure thang," Willy replied pouring two shorts of the best whisky and passing them over the bar. "Hey, you know what's with such the hype tonight, I mean with all the partying?"  
  
"Apparently, someone took out Angelus tonight!" the demon replied with a sneer on both of it's lips.  
  
"You mean .. dead?" Willy asked in complete shock.  
  
"Nah, he was cursed again." the demon said downing the shot in one sip. "And not by the Slayer or any of it's gang. There's a new player in town."  
  
"A - a new player?" Willy stuttered, slightly nervous as he looked down at his watch. "Will you excuse me for a few moments, I have to make a phone call."  
  
Willy dived around to the other side of the bar near the back and picked up his phone where he frantically dialed and number and waited nervously as it connected.  
  
"Hey." Willy said when he heard a familiar voice, "Yeah it's me. Listen, is it true. I gotta know?"  
  
Willy the snitch listened intently as he hard the voice of the other end of the line. After a few moments, Willy had decided he'd heard enough.  
  
"Yeah thanks." he said as he put the receiver back.  
  
Willy turned his attention back to the packed bar. "Oh crap," he mumbled to himself.  
  
~~~~~ Part 1 ~~~~~  
  
~ Sunnydale High, That Morning ~  
  
The students of Sunnydale High weren't greeted with beautiful summer sunshine but rather a dull and overcast one, a morning like that which could help but catch the attention of Giles as he nimbly ducked and dived through the crowds just incase it actually started raining. He made it up to the archway that graced the entrance of the school just in time to hear a massive grumble of thunder followed by a couple of streaks of lightning across the morning sky.  
  
"Weird," he mumbled as he turned back and headed inside towards the Library.  
  
Giles walked nimbly down the passages until he arrived at the doors of the Library. He would have walked straight inside if it weren't for the fact that he saw her Slayer sitting at the table looking at a book, then he remembered the events of that night which he nearly forgot about.  
  
'Angel, back' Giles thought as he looked at his young Vampire Slayer. He'd be lying if he didn't say that over the course of the years that he tutored Buffy he'd grown rather fond of her in a fatherly way and it always made his heart sink whenever she was unhappy about something .. and Buffy wasn't happy from what he could tell.  
  
After clearing his mind, Giles took a deep breath before opening the door and entered the Library, which immediately got Buffy's attention.  
  
"Hey there Giles how are you?" Buffy said with a smile.  
  
"Quite well thank you Buffy," Giles replied as he placed his bag and his copy of the Sunnydale Times on the counter top. "Ho-how are you this morning?"  
  
"I'm okay, little sleepy perhaps. Didn't get much sleep, just kept thinking about what happened last night."  
  
"I understand," Giles said a little tentatively as he popped into his office to make himself a morning cup of tea.  
  
"Here's something weird for you though," Buffy said trying to change the subject she was on.  
  
"What's that?" Giles replied from inside the office.  
  
"Apparently there was a big gathering at Willy's place last night over what happened at the school. I guess news travels fast around here."  
  
Hearing that, Giles quickly pocked his head from inside the office and looked squarely at Buffy. "A large gathering at Willy's did you say? I don't suppose any of the demons knew who the person was who did the actually curse on him by any chance?"  
  
"No," Buffy replied with a noticeable sigh. "But one of the demons told Willy and apparently he freaked. After he heard the news he was like deathly pale. Said he looked deader than most of the Vamps that go to his place."  
  
"Hmm that can't be good." Giles said as he re-appeared from the office with a cup in his hand.  
  
"This is Sunnydale Giles, it's never good." Buffy quipped.  
  
"Yes. Do you remember that prophecy that I told all of you a little while back?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well .. I think that he's finally arrived in Sunnydale and he's trying to emerge as the dominant force in this town."  
  
"What do you mean, 'dominant force'?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Well," Giles said deciding to be a little too truthful, "when Angel was turned into Angelus, he along with Spike pretty much ruled over the underworld of Sunnydale. Not a lot really happened without them knowing about it. With Spike mysteriously leaving town not long back and now with Angel re-cursed as it were by this mysterious person, it seems that he or she maybe has the power of this town."  
  
"Oh," Buffy said as her gaze slowly shifted to a nearby window. "Now all this new person has to do now is to meet the welcome wagon. Me."  
  
~ Willy's Place ~  
  
Looking around, Willy couldn't help but to wonder. He'd figured that he'd made more money that night then he had done for the past two weeks put together. They nearly drank his entire supply of alcohol, and as such for all of the morning he had to keep the bar closed until he got more supplies. That didn't mind old Willy though as the bar was a complete mess with glasses everywhere and empty packets that contained god only knows what.  
  
Willy looked around and dropped the broom next to the fifth full rubbish bag. "Oh man, what a night that was."  
  
Willy turned back and almost had a heart attack.  
  
Standing in the light of the doorway stood a tall dark figure. How he gotten in was beyond Willy as he had the bar locked up tighter than Fort Knox.  
  
"Hey pal, I don't know how you managed to get in but we're closed, so do your little Hudini act and get outta here will y'a."  
  
Willy picked up a couple of empty bottles from a nearby table and turned his back on the mysterious visitor who he thought was leaving.  
  
"Now Willy," the dark shaded character finally spoke in a deep low voice.  
  
Hearing that, Willy froze on the spot in shock and dropped the bottles making them shatter where they landed.  
  
"Is that how you treat an old acquaintance?" it continued.  
  
"Oh, God." Willy mumbled under his breath.  
  
"God won't help you today Willy, or ever. You should have learnt that lesson by now."  
  
"Hey there," Willy greeted, as he turned around to face the stranger again. "It's been, like ages man, and you know, you look, well I guess good as I can't make out any of you except for a shadow. You want some pigs blood? I'm all out at the moment, but you can have some from my private stash."  
  
"I don't want any of that," it said as it took a few step into the bar. "I just came by to tell you that I was in town and that I will be staying for a little while."  
  
"Oh yeah," Willy said a little nervously as he took a couple of steps back. "How long you intend staying?"  
  
"Until I kill that brat of a Vampire Slayer, 'cause after that .. the world is mine for the taking."  
  
"Yeah, that Slayer," Willy said getting slightly more nervous, "she's definitely a girl that brings in the tourists you know."  
  
"You know what I am after." It said deeply.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I can get it for you, no worries. But there's something I gotta know. Did you really do it? Curse Angelus?"  
  
The dark figure who had by now turned back and started towards the door, paused briefly and turned it's head slightly back.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why? You and he could rule Sunnydale completely."  
  
"Emergence, that's why."  
  
With that, the mysterious person walked towards the entrance, but as he did released a magic spell and slowly faded into darkness.  
  
Willy just stood there at the now empty bar in amusement. "Now that's what I call an exit!"  
  
~ Sunnydale High, Lunchtime ~  
  
"So you up for a little training at the moment Buffy?" Giles asked a little quietly as they strolled through the corridors from the cafeteria, lunch in hand.  
  
"I would say 'yippee I'd love to' but I got to get this assignment completed before last period or my Social English teacher will moan at me again."  
  
"Yes, yes," Giles agreed, "your English is a little lack at the best of times."  
  
Buffy answered that comment with an off-stare which was completely ignored by her Watcher. "Well I thought speaking it was good enough" she retorted.  
  
"I'm afraid, not in this day and age." They both stopped at the end of the passage and looked down at the throng of student milling about another corridor. "Look at all these people. It'll be murder getting to the Library."  
  
"Maybe I can use some of my Slayer strength on some of them?" Buffy offered, only to receive an off-stare of her own from Giles.  
  
"I really don't think so Buffy." He simply said.  
  
Then without any kind of reason the mass of students started edging towards either side leaving a clear passage from one of the exits of the school.  
  
"What's going on?" Giles pondered looking down the almost clear isle.  
  
As the rest of the passage way finally cleared they could see why they did. Standing in the doorway at the end stood Cordelia and beside her Xander who was sporting a very fancy and shiny pair of crutches. After a moment they started walking down the corridor.  
  
"It's like the parting of the red sea all over again," Buffy mumbled to Giles as they got slowly nearer.  
  
"Indeed." Giles agreed. "Quick, let's make use of this moment and get to the Library."  
  
Buffy and Giles quickly retreated into the sanctuary of the Library while Cordelia and Xander walked, or in Xander's case hobbled down the corridor also going towards the Library.  
  
Xander was definitely happier to be out of the wheelchair as it made moving around a lot easier, though he'd gotten used to the idea of being pushed around by Cordelia all the time but this time in a more literal sense of the word.  
  
Cordelia was also grateful for Xander being out of the wheelchair, but only cause of this one time when she cracked a nail and needed a manicure.  
  
They were about to reach the doors of the Library when Harmony bounded between them late for lunch with her friends knocking Cordelia and Xander to the floor.  
  
"Hey! Watch where you're going Harm!" Cordelia yelled out after her.  
  
Harmony stopped just in front of the stairwell and looked back at Cordelia who was already up and Xander who was being helped up by a couple of the students who were nearby. "Oh," she said, "I didn't see you two losers standing there."  
  
Buffy and Giles poked their heads out of the Library door as this started but was completely ignored by Cordelia who was starting to fume at Harmony's arrogance.  
  
"You just come here and say that to my face!" Cordy shouted out.  
  
"And then what?" Harmony said rhetorically, "are you and your loser friends gonna beat me up?"  
  
"You're damn right, you crazy freak!!"  
  
"Alright, alright, let's get inside." Giles quickly said to Xander and Cordy who was about ready to explode in front of half the students of Sunnydale.  
  
"Damn, she pisses me off!" Cordelia continued to curse as she was almost dragged inside by Buffy while Giles helped Xander in.  
  
"She's a nobody," Buffy said finally letting her go and looking at her. "No worry about nobodies."  
  
Cordelia thought about that for a brief second, 'don't worry about nobodies', that's what she used to do before she fell in with the Scooby Gang.  
  
"Oh, Buffy, in all that has been happening there's something I've been meaning to inform you about." Giles said sitting down at the table.  
  
"Oh?" Buffy asked quizzically as she sat opposite her Watcher.  
  
"Yes, well. It seems that the Council wish to do an evaluation of several Slayers and Watcher's. And we've been selected for this evaluation."  
  
"What!" Buffy replied totally shocked. "Do the Council think I haven't enough to do with my school life that I need an evaluation?"  
  
"They just wish to monitor your performance level, to see if I am giving you sufficient training, that's all."  
  
"So what? Are we to be graced by the guy again, Travers."  
  
"Thankfully, not." Giles said with obvious happiness in his tone. "No the evaluation will take place from my journals, but I will need a complete account of your activities for the next week or so."  
  
"Okay," Buffy said giving herself a little smile. "That I can do."  
  
~ That Night ~  
  
Willow sat cross-legged on top of one of the inhabitants of Shady Hill Cemetery eating from a large pack of chips while Buffy sat opposite her on the grass with a look of complete and utter boredom on her face.  
  
"Two hours," Buffy moaned loudly, "two damned hours and not a single sighting! Where on Earth are they all tonight? Don't tell me they're at Willy's again drinking the night away."  
  
"Maybe," Willow simply said snacking on another mouthful of her chips. "They have been rather celebratory since .. well since, you know .. "  
  
".. About what happened at the High School with Angelus?" Buffy finished. "It's okay Will, you can say it."  
  
"How are you doing with, you know, all the post Angelus or Angel angst?" Willow asked leaning forward slightly.  
  
Buffy looked downwards as if suddenly finding an interesting blade of grass on the floor. "It's, you know, difficult. I know that I have to deal and along the way I'm gonna have to face my demons again, but, I think It's gonna take a little time .. and maybe a lot of ice cream and friendly- time."  
  
"Well for what it's worth, you got the friendly-time support from me, Xander .. and maybe even Cordy."  
  
"Cordy." Buffy repeated as she looked upwards towards her friend. "Who woulda guessed that she'd give me friendly-anything."  
  
"It's true that she used to belong to the sheep of the school. But you know I really think that Cordelia has made a real change in her life, and I really can't see her going back to her old ways again anytime soon."  
  
Looking around the dead quiet cemetery, Buffy stood up and started stretching her arms.  
  
"Getting cramp sitting down there?" Willow asked.  
  
"Nah, it's just that I wanna actually tell Giles that I did something tonight beside waffle on about my failing love life."  
  
Willow sat quietly as the Slayer started her workout routine that she usually does in the Library between classes.  
  
"Not that I'm complaining or anything," Willow said after a few minutes of silence. "But how much longer are we going to be out on patrol?"  
  
Buffy stopped in mid-stretch as she took a moment to think about it. "Probably have to say another half an hour, and then maybe home for the night."  
  
Buffy continued the exercises while Willow carried on eating her chips in silence.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Despite all the warnings and misgivings given to the townspeople of Sunnydale, there were just as many who stay in as there are who stay out after the sun went down. You had the people just out for a good time and risked that chance, you had the people who simply had to be out cause they needed to be somewhere - and then you had the completely ignorant, for which Harmony Kendrall was one of.  
  
If somebody asked her why she would be out at such a late hour, she'd give you any of literally a million reasons why, her most popular one being 'that it was none of your damn business' .. but that was actually if anybody actually gave a thought about asking her in the first place.  
  
Harmony was a little annoyed and she had been for some time now. The main reason for her annoyance started around the time the person whom she called her best friend Cordelia Chase started hanging around with Buffy and her bunch of super-losers in what she called that creepy library with the creepy librarian. She was completely ignorant at first only because she'd be there for such a short time before she came to her senses and re-joined Harmony and the rest of the Cordettes. But since her relationship with that Xander Harris went public, and after what happened at Valentine's she became one of them completely - a loser, and she absolutely hated her for that.  
  
Harmony noticed an empty coke can and kicked it across the street. "I so hate you Cordelia Chase!" she huffed angrily.  
  
Suddenly, Harmony stopped in her tracks as she heard a coke can being kicked from somewhere behind her - somebody was behind her.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Damn it, and I was so looking forward to a good nights Slayage." Buffy fumed as she walked down main street with Willow by her side. "But do you think that even one Vampire could grace it's presence so I could slay it?"  
  
"Nope." Willow said looking up at her friend.  
  
"Exactly!" Buffy exploded as she booted an already heavily kicked coke can halfway down the street. "Hey." She said suddenly stopping in her tracks. "I bet they're all at Willy's again tonight."  
  
"You know I think you actually thought that earlier," Willow said looking at her best friend.  
  
"Really?" Buffy said stopping in mid-step to think back, "hmm, I think all that waiting made my brain forget."  
  
They continued down the road towards Willy's Place.  
  
~~~~~ Part 2 ~~~~~  
  
"So absolutely nothing happened? Nothing at all?" Giles was in pace mode in the Library the following morning as Buffy re-encounted her previous night's Slayage, or lack thereof.  
  
"Nothing." Buffy replied as she sat at the table with an expression of complete boredom on her face. "So," she quickly said changing the subject, "have you found out anything more about this prophecy you discovered?"  
  
"What?" Giles said as he completed the previous night's entry in his journal. "No I'm afraid I'm at somewhat a loose end still on the prophecy, but no doubt I shall find something sooner or later."  
  
"Hey Buff," Xander's voice called as he entered the Library with Cordelia as well as Willow and Oz.  
  
"Hey guys," Buffy called back, "how's everything?"  
  
The gang sat around the table while Giles finished up writing up his journal and placed it back in his office.  
  
"So, what have we got planned for tonight?" Willow asked.  
  
"Same old," Buffy said looking over a small pile of books. "Saving the world from unspeakable horrors, followed by a hot bath and bed."  
  
"Do you reckon there will always be unspeakable horrors?" Xander mused.  
  
"Only while Principal Snyder's still alive," Cordelia muttered in response.  
  
"I think I can top your reckon, there Xander." Willow said.  
  
"Go on then."  
  
"Do you reckon that Giles has books in this library that doesn't make reference to horrible demons and dark magics?"  
  
A momentary hush fell upon the group who looked at each other in quizical silence.  
  
"Hey Will, do these spells really work?" Buffy asked leafing through one of the book she got from the desk.  
  
"Pretty much yeah," Willow answered back. "Do you want anything to help with the Slaying?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Giles filed away his Watcher diary for the day and set about making his morning cup of tea to help him get through another day at Sunnydale High.  
  
He lifted his head slightly as he could hear the conversaion going on in the Library itself with Buffy and the rest of her friends and a small smile came across his lips. Buffy Summer was by no means his first Slayer that he had looked after, in fact through the many years as Watcher he had quite a few, though none of them were like his current Slayer.  
  
Giles crouched down to a small mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk to add to his tea, when suddenly there was an almighty bright flash that came from the Library which caught Giles off guard dropping the bottle in the process.  
  
Giles darted out of his office and looked around, everyone was now slowly getting from the floor where they laid in different areas of the Library.  
  
"What's going on?" Giles asked in complete confusion. "Is everybody okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm good," Willow replied.  
  
"Same here." Oz said from near the counter.  
  
"Ouch," Cordelia said, "but otherwise okay."  
  
"Okay here too," Xander said, "but little help getting up would be appreciated."  
  
"Where's Buffy?" Giles asked looking around.  
  
Slowly from the upper section of the Library, Buffy stood up and looked around at the others. "What in the hell just happened."  
  
"Well I was going to say the same thing," Giles said cleaning his glasses.  
  
Suddenly, there was a disembodied grown and slowly another person stood up next to Buffy. There was only one problem though now as it looked exactly like Buffy.  
  
"Man," the other Buffy said, "do I feel weird."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"This is amazing," Willow said a little while later.  
  
"But extremely unusual," finished Oz.  
  
"Indeed," Giles added.  
  
Giles along with, Cordelia, Xander, Willow and Oz were now sitting on one side of the table while on the opposite sat Buffy and now her exact duplicate who were both ticking casually on a small document which was in front of them.  
  
"What are you having the Buffy, err I mean Buffy's doing Giles?" Willow asked in wonderment.  
  
"It's a test that the Council devised to check the mental capacity of a Slayer who has an identical twin." Giles replied. "They say that twins have a certain connection at these questions that they are completing determines the strength of that connection."  
  
"I just can't get over it," Xander said looking at them. "They're both exactly the same. Hey would this mean that they both share the same strengths?"  
  
"Double Buffy, double trouble?" Oz muttered receive a nod from Xander.  
  
"Well, we'll soon see," Giles said.  
  
"Finished." both the Buffy's said at the same time, and handed the papers to the Watcher who started scrutinising over the answers.  
  
"Buffy," Cordelia said looking between them both. "What's going through your mind, now that you've an exact duplicate of yourself?"  
  
Both Buffy's looked at each other for a moment and then looked back at Cordelia.  
  
"It's pretty weird." they both answered at the same time.  
  
"Wow, in stereo." Xander quipped.  
  
"I can see this getting pretty confusing if we start to forget which Buffy we're talking to." Willow said. "This may take some time to re-adjust to."  
  
"Well, there is going to be a way to seperate the two Buffy's after all." Giles said returning to the table and sitting down.  
  
"That was quick." Cordelia said.  
  
"Indeed," Giles commented looking at the Buffy's. "Now, Buffy," he said looking at the Buffy on his right. "What did you do last night?"  
  
Buffy furrowed her brow a little in thought before she gave her answer. "Well Giles, I spent the evening at home, where I had a nice hot bath before sleep."  
  
"Hey, but .." Willow started.  
  
"No, Willow." Giles said hastily to her. "Now, same question to the other Buffy."  
  
"After school," the other Buffy said immediately, "I went home to eat then I went out in the evening with Willow to partol. Then after that it was home for a hot bath and bed."  
  
"Giles, what's happened here?" Willow said looking at the rest of the group in bewilderment.  
  
"Well," Giles said wiping his glasses. "It's seemed that when Buffy was duplicated only certain elements have gone into one Buffy and the rest into the other." Giles took one of the papers and placed it on the table. "In this case we have one Buffy who is completely proficient in her Slaying capabilities as well as remembering her patrols and demons whom she's fought. On the other hand." he said taking the other paper, "we have the Buffy who is completely knowledgeable in her studying and has no knowledge of the other Buffy's calling as a Vampire Slayer."  
  
"What's a Vampire Slayer?" the duplicated Buffy asked looking around.  
  
There was a prolonged silence at that remark as it was the first time Buffy had said such a question in their presence and it caught them a little off guard.  
  
"Better question," Willow said, "has anybody thought of perhaps reversing the spell? Bringing the two Buffy's back together again?"  
  
"Well, that is the logical course of action under the circumstances." Giles replied looking around the desk for the book in question.  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said looking at her duplicate. "If mum knew about this, she would totally lose it."  
  
"I totally agree," the duplicate answered back. "But what about one night of fun before we get turned back, huh, totally get them wild at the Bronze?"  
  
"Buffy, I don't think that's a wise idea," Giles said a little sternly at his Slayer's. "I think that this should be reversed so as little attention can be drawn to this as possible."  
  
"But Giles," they both said together, and both putting on a pout at the same time.  
  
"No, no. I cannot allow this to happen." Giles said sticking to his guns.  
  
"But you can change us back first thing in the morning." Buffy pleaded.  
  
"Please," added the duplicate Buffy.  
  
"No is my final word," Giles said.  
  
~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~  
  
"I still don't understand" Willow pondered as she looked around.  
  
The gang had all assembled at the Bronze as they planned. Oz was on stage playing a set with the Dingoes while the rest sat at a nearby table.  
  
"Well I totally get it." Cordelia commented nodding her head as she spoke.  
  
"Well?" Willow asked.  
  
"Feminine power." Cordelia simply said.  
  
"Totally." Buffy said as she returned to the table with an armful of drinks. "I used my wiley feminine way over the male of the species and voila."  
  
"Still a bum-rap that I gotta be back to Giles' before too late" the Buffy double pouted as she quickly followed.  
  
"Yeah but you're here so enjoy." Cordelia said accepting the drink from Buffy.  
  
"Oh hey, it's Cordy and the 'Super Losers'," Harmony growled as she walked past the table with the remainder of the former 'Cordettes'. "What's it like being so low?"  
  
"Just you come over here and say that to my face." Cordelia growled in response standing from her stool.  
  
"I would but I wouldn't wanna stoop to that level," Harmony muttered as she walked off.  
  
"Damn that woman is infuriating." Cordelia spat, "I wonder what I saw in her in the first place to make me wanna be friends."  
  
"Your shallowness?" the Buffy double replied.  
  
There was a moments silence as all eyes looked to everyone else.  
  
"You're probably right," Cordelia agreed. "I know that I've been shallow for the longest time now. Thank God I'm so over that now."  
  
"Troubles?" the voice of Xander floated across as he soon appeared behind Cordelia.  
  
"Xander," Cordelia smiled as she leant back for a kiss. "Where are your crutches, mister?" she asks suddenly realising that he's not using them.  
  
"I only went to the bathroom," Xander said in self defense.  
  
"No excuse mister," Cordelia scowled her boyfriend. "I ain't running you around in a wheelchair again, get it."  
  
"Got it," Xander agreed as he sat next to her and kissed her softly on the lips.  
  
The Dingoes finish playing to a round of applause to those who listened. Oz put down his guitar and with a smile left the stage and rejoined Willow and the others at the table.  
  
"Hey Oz, good show tonight," Buffy congratulated as he approached.  
  
"Thanks." Oz replied as he sat next to Willow. "Hey guys, and the Buffy double."  
  
"So how are you Buffy's adapting to this new way of living?" Xander asked as he took a bite out of his muffin.  
  
The Buffy and her double looked at each other for a few moments as they try to decide how the events of the day had gone before they turned their attention back to the group. "I missed her," they both said at once.  
  
"Amazing," Willow replied.  
  
"Indeed," Oz added.  
  
As the gang carry on talking a figure stood on the balcony above, not looking at them, however, hearing every word they are saying. The figure strikes a match on the balcony rail and lights a cigarette, inhaling the smoke as it rises into the air.  
  
"Hey good looking," a female spoke out.  
  
The figure looked sideways as a tall slender brunette approached and smiled.  
  
"You got one of them matches spare?" she asked holding a cigarette in her hand.  
  
"Ok," Cordelia said standing up from her seat. "I gotta go bathroom, but then you and me are dancing."  
  
"You betcha," Xander replied as he watched her leave.  
  
The rest of the group watch Xander's expression as he watches Cordelia leave and give a collective "arr" noise to tease how much he loves Cordelia.  
  
"Hey, it's not that bad is it?" Xander said looking back.  
  
"Nah," Buffy said. "It's nice, really Xand. It's good to know it's love you have, and not some allergic reaction."  
  
"Or a Hellmouth-y relationship," Oz added.  
  
"Very true," Xander agreed as he finished his drink. "I'll be right back" Xander added as he shook the empty container.  
  
"I'll come with," Oz said as he got up and followed after Xander to the bar.  
  
"So, err, Buffy's," Willow said looking at the two Slayers. "What did you get up to today."  
  
"Well you know bout me Wills," Buffy said with a groan. "Giles took this opportunity to put me through my training, like all day. Plus he had me reading through these diaries of previous Slayers, I thought they'd be like all boring but some of them were interesting."  
  
"Full of juicy stories?" Willow asked perking up.  
  
"Kinda, but with all the training Giles makes me do, It's like nothing that the other Slayers had to endure"  
  
"What bout you?" Willow asked the Buffy double.  
  
"Well, classes," she simply replied. "Though I think I startled too many people."  
  
"Err why?" Buffy asked looking at her double.  
  
"The Modern English teacher said that I not only had my hand up more than usual but I'd gotten the questions right."  
  
"Oh geez," Buffy mumbled. "How am I gonna explain that, I hate Modern English."  
  
"Hmm could be interesting to explain away," Willow muttered, "but don't sell yourself short Buff, you're real smart and all."  
  
Buffy didn't really pay attention to the last part as she was looking behind her.  
  
"Buffy?" Wilow said.  
  
"Huh?" Buffy's attention snapped back to her friend. "Sorry, just there's this bloke over there. I'm getting an unusual weird vibe of him that's all."  
  
"Déjà vu of the Hellmouth forna?" the Buffy double said looking to where Buffy was.  
  
"Yeah," Buffy muttered softly.  
  
"Hey look, boyfriend with drinks," Willow said as she saw Oz returning to the table.  
  
He passed out the drinks to the others and sat down next to Willow.  
  
"What, no Xander?" Buffy wondered looking about.  
  
"Oh, he's just coming," Oz said pointing back briefly. "So having a good time?"  
  
"Oh yeah," the Buffy double said, "and the night is still young."  
  
Buffy's attention was diverted again by the mysterious figure and she shook her head. "Damn this mystery person." Buffy fumed under her breath as she stood up.  
  
"Y'a gonna introduce him to Mister Pointy?" Oz said looking over his shoulder.  
  
"Damn straight." Buffy said, "I'll be right back."  
  
Buffy started through the crowd of dancers to the back door where the person walked through shortly before.  
  
"Damn this is all I need after a good night's non-slayage," Buffy muttered as she walked through the mass of bodies to a sign marked 'Exit'.  
  
"You know, I never really knew how high strung the slayage was," the Buffy double mused as she took a sip from her drink.  
  
"Yep," Willow replied, "definitely a seven day a week kinda deal."  
  
"And it causes no end of hassle in the social life," Xander quipped as he returned to the table.  
  
"You took your time," Willow said as he sat back down in front of his drink.  
  
"I had a lot to, you know, do." Xander said trying not to elaborate too much.  
  
"No?" Willow said innocently.  
  
"I was in the bathroom."  
  
"Owwww," Willow simply said and decided to keep quiet after that.  
  
Buffy looked around the back of the club, the fresh breeze gently blowing around her. She couldn't see anybody or anything suspicious looking so she decided to walk down a little bit, enjoying the night's sky.  
  
"Ok," she muttered quietly, "I'm gonna go back to my drink unless .." her muttering was cut of as not too far ahead she saw the dark outline of a person striking a match. "Damn," she cursed.  
  
Buffy quickly launched into action, sprinting quickly and quietly, not giving the other person time to react to her presence.  
  
The shadowed person looked in her direction just as she was about to launch herself at him. "Hey, I know you .."  
  
Before the sentence was complete, the stake was out and Buffy had pinned the person against a dumster with her forearm ready to strike. "Sorry buddy," Buffy commented, "next time ruin someone's night out." She raised her stake up high when she heard the other person speak.  
  
"Buffy!?" the other said with complete surprise and confusion. "What are you doing?"  
  
Buffy grabbed the person by the shirt collar and pulled them into the light.  
  
"Larry!" she blurted out, suddenly recognising the jock from Sunnydale High.  
  
"What are you doing to me?" Larry asked looking down slightly at her arm pinned against his neck.  
  
"Sorry," Buffy stammered letting go of Larry, "I'm sorry, it's just that .."  
  
"What? Is it cause you saw me smoking?" Larry asked trying to find out why she was gonna attack him.  
  
"Err," Buffy thought for a moment. "Yes. It is. It's a bad habit and you should stop, now."  
  
Back inside the club Xander and the rest of the gang were looking back towards where Buffy had gone out several minutes earlier.  
  
"Y'a know maybe we should go out there and back her up." Xander wondered.  
  
"She can take care of herself against a vamp," Willow said, "unless it's not just one."  
  
"Maybe we should go out there then," the Buffy double suggested getting from her seat.  
  
Just then, the back door opened and Buffy re-appeared looking just a little flustered and annoyed about something.  
  
"Wow, looks like the Buff-ster's night is going down hill slowly from that look on her face." Xander muttered as the Slayer started back on her way to the table.  
  
"Can it get any worse?" Oz wondered.  
  
Just then over the sound of the music and the other people in the club three women screamed loudly.  
  
"Oz you had to say it," the Buffy double said as all three jumped from their seat to where the screams were heard.  
  
Buffy was first to the scene as three females jumped from the bathroom door and through the dance floor.  
  
The door swung back in Buffy's face as she got near so she didn't know what to expect inside. She took a deep breath as she reached out and touched the smooth wooden surface of the door and gave it a gentle push, before stepping inside.  
  
As she walked into the bathroom she could see nothing but red, all over the walls, doors and mirrors.  
  
"What the .." Buffy muttered as she looked the horrific scene she was now a part of. She looked downwards at the two bodies on the floor, and her heart froze.  
  
"I dunno," Xander's voice echoed coming from behind, "maybe it's a large spider. I mean when a female sees one of them eight legged freaks and they just .."  
  
"Oh my," Willow shuddered as the gang entered the bathroom. "Who did this?"  
  
The three of them looked around the walls and the ceiling like Buffy did moments before, but it was Xander who looked downwards first.  
  
"Oh my," he muttered silently.  
  
Laying on the floor in a large puddle of blood was Harmony with an extremely large neck wound. Her face was etched with complete horror and her eyes were wide open. Kneeling next to her was Cordelia. She was shaking violently and her hands and clothes were covered in blood.  
  
Buffy was the first to do anything. Taking a step forward, she knelt down beside Cordelia, careful not to get much, or if any blood on her clothes.  
  
"Cordelia," Buffy spoke quietly. "Cordy?"  
  
The room was in silence, the music of the club long ceased as more and more people gathered at the entrance of the bathroom, impeding staff members to get to the scene. The only sounds were of the mumblings of the lookers in the doorway and the heavy breathing of the gang inside the bathroom.  
  
"What happened in here?" Buffy asked Cordelia.  
  
There was continued silence for a moment or two before Cordelia whispered something.  
  
"What was that?" Buffy said trying to look into Cordy's eyes.  
  
Cordelia slowly turned her head towards Buffy, the blood on her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were puffy and red. She was about to answer when she noticed the legs of her boyfriend standing there. She knew there'd be a scene but she never thought of what Xander might have been thinking at that moment. Her gaze went up and met his and the others, then quickly looked back to Buffy's.  
  
"What have I done?" Cordelia whispered softly again. "Oh God, what have I done!"  
  
To be continued .. 


	4. Destiny's Childe, Part II

~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~  
  
~ The Bronze, One Hour Later ~  
  
Pretty much most of the crowd had been dispersed and only a handful of people remained to give statements to the Police which included the Buffy, the Buffy double and the rest of the gang.  
  
Buffy sat looking dejected over her shoulder towards a cordoned off area where Cordelia was sitting with a few members of the Sunnydale PD along with Detective Jonathan Richards. Wherever there was something paranormal going on Richards was there digging through the dirt.   
  
"Damn it," Buffy muttered under her breath as she looked back to the others, "how long is this thing going to take."  
  
"Buffy, this is a serious matter," Willow softly answered, "we could be dealing with murder here."  
  
"But, Cordy wouldn't do this." Xander said as he paced back and fourth. "It's just not in her nature, no matter how much she'd hate somebody."  
  
"Sorry to say, but this is living proof to the contrary," Oz said unhappily as he took Willow's hand into his own and gently squeezed it.  
  
The gang fell into a thoughtful silence as they tried to piece together the events of the previous hour, where they were, what they were doing. They were all trying to justify Cordelia's innocence in this matter but the sad truth of it was that there was no way they could added to the fact that the victim was a person that Cordelia hated with an intense passion.  
  
"Ms. Summers," the sound of Detective Richards echoed from where he was sitting.  
  
Buffy looked back and saw him looking at her and the rest of them.  
  
"You might as well go Ms. Summers, we have your witness statements and there is nothing more you can do here."  
  
"But what about Cordelia?" Xander asked looking at the Detective.  
  
"Ms. Chase isn't going anywhere I'm afraid, at the moment she is being charged with first degree murder. Unless you're a lawyer, I'm afraid there's nothing more you or her friends can do for her." The Detective turned back and carried on talking to Cordelia.  
  
"But," Xander said completely shocked at the statement, "she can't .. she just."  
  
They turned their heads towards the entrance as they heard a quick pacing of footsteps and Giles appears through a crowd of Police officials.  
  
"Buffy what's happened?" Giles said as he approached the table. "You were supposed to bring the Buffy double back by now."  
  
"There's trouble Giles," Willow murmured as she pointed her head in the direction of Cordelia who was at this time being handcuffed by an officer.  
  
~ Sunnydale High, The Following Morning ~  
  
It had been pretty much a sleepless night for the gang as they were all concerned for Cordelia, as well as being troubled by the actual murder of Harmony. This time around it certainly didn't look like a killing by Vampire or Demon, rather than by flesh and blood human with a conscious and soul.  
  
Buffy and the gang sat around the large desk in the Library, all of them looking totally tired and exhausted from the events of the previous night. Their only saving grace was that fact that today was Saturday and that nobody else was expected to be there. In the center of the table lay a pile of document procured from the Sunnydale PD through the Council's authority. It included witness arias from all the customers and staff who were on duty that night along with gruesome and detailed photos and forensic reports and autopsy notes from the Coroner.   
  
"So what have we got here?" Buffy mused as she fiddled with the edge of the nearest folder.  
  
There was a moment's silence before anybody answered.  
  
"Well, it seems .." Willow started.  
  
".. She did it," Xander cut in before Willow finished.  
  
Willow didn't say anything, just looked at him, her eyes telling him what he needed to know.  
  
"Well," Giles said, "there maybe another possible answer."  
  
"There isn't." Xander sighed.  
  
"Xander you don't know this," Buffy said, "there could be .."  
  
"Could be what!" Xander suddenly exploded, much to everybody's shock and surprise. "The key to Cordy's freedom? Sitting here and reading these damned report's won't do anything for her while she's behind bars."  
  
Not finding anything that he could hit nearby, he took the file he was holding and threw is across the table, throwing the contents everywhere and walked earnestly out of the library.  
  
Buffy saw that Giles was about to say something and gently shook her head. This was one battle that couldn't be won with a stake or any other type of weapon.  
  
~ That Night ~  
  
It had been quite some time since Angel was re-souled in the corridors of Sunnydale High, but he had definitely made his intention to keep well away from Buffy and her friends, he especially kept a wide birth from the school after almost murdering Jenny Calindar.  
  
Now he had turned his back from both human and demon life and shunned anybody who maybe looking for him. He was spending all of his time now in a boarded up mansion which was located on Crawford Street, only venturing out into the world when it was absolutely necessary, like to get blood.  
  
He never left, even at night time, in case of a chance encounter with Buffy.  
  
This night Angel decided to put aside the books and perform a little T'ai Chi, not that a Vampire needs to exercise, no, Angel just thought it was helpful in keeping in focus and help concentration if and when it was called for. He stood peacefully in front of a crackling fire, the motions his body goes through, gentle and so gracefully, going from one movement to another in one fluid motion.  
  
He slowly moved his hand together, palms touching each other before extending both hands outwards away from his body, then upwards above his head. His arms went mid-way before he sensed a familiar presence in the room. He exhaled and slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Angel muttered softly.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Xander hadn't really spent any time taking to Buffy and his friends since his little outburst in the Library earlier on that day, and although in some respects he was right, he had to admit they were only doing what they could under the circumstances, and that thought had put Xander Harris into a huff.  
  
In some respects it hadn't been long before Xander and Cordy had come to accept the feelings they had for each other as actual feelings and not some weird effect caused by the Hellmouth and now she was slumming it in one of the cells at the Sunnydale PD for something that she couldn't have done.  
  
He had spent a lot of the night sitting at his desk, writing and now looking through his photo album at all the pictures he's got of his friends, and of the good times he shared with them. He flicked over the page and saw what he called the first two-some shot, of him and Cordy at the pier when they went to the sea side for the day. A smile passed his lips as he remembered how they had so much fun that day that when the day was over they was disappointed and kept nagging Willow for some sort of spell to be able to repeat the day over again, just for the sake of it.  
  
A knock on the front door brought Xander back to the moment. He looked around behind him and thought for a moment weather or not to answer it. He knew that both of his parents weren't home and it was too early for either one to get back, besides neither of them would usually knock.  
  
Xander sighed softly, then there was another knock. Getting up from the chair Xander slowly made his way into the hallway and down the stairs. Maybe it was Buffy and the others to check up on him. That thought made Xander smile, he did miss spending the day with them, even though he chose to steer clear from them for some of the time. He reached the bottom of the stairs and approached the door as there was a third knock.  
  
"Okay," Xander called reaching for the latch, "I'm here."  
  
He pulled the latch releasing the door and opened it up to see who was outside.   
  
For a couple of moments there was a strained silence before Xander spoke in a low tone. "Holy crap!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Surprisingly enough, Buffy and her friends weren't out patrolling as usual, but rather still in the Library. They had near enough spent the whole day investigating and researching, and they were finally reaching their wits end.  
  
Giles and Willow were still looking at the mound of evidence and still not coming up with anything. Behind them stood a large white board with notes scribbled on it describing the events from all of them as they remember it, and Buffy had her head on her hands, lightly dozing.  
  
"Giles," Willow softly said as she looked up from a folder. "Where's the Buffy double?"  
  
"Hmm," Giles replied, "oh, yes, she's just gone to the bathroom to freshen up."  
  
"Ok." Willow said putting down the folder and standing up.  
  
With that over and done with, the silence returned to the room. Giles sat, cleaning his glasses as if there was a piece of dirt on it obscuring the view of the answer they so desperately need and Willow paced back and fourth with an expression of exasperation on her face.  
  
"A-HA!" Willow suddenly exclaimed, causing Giles to jump in surprise and Buffy's head to shoot up from her place of rest.  
  
"I'm awake," Buffy blustered, "I was just, hmm, was, just pondering the situation."  
  
"Indeed." Giles simply answered as he looked at her before turning his attention to Willow. "A-ha, what Willow?"  
  
"Magic," Willow simply exclaimed. "Do either of you know what 'relive les événements' mean?"  
  
"Hmm," Buffy pondered, "is it 'turn back the clock'?"  
  
"Close," Giles answered, "after a fashion at least. No it means 'relive the events' doesn't it Willow?"  
  
"Yep," Willow said smiling, "there was a magician in the fifteenth century who perfected this spell in which a selected person can go back to a certain time frame and relive specific moments in their lives."  
  
"Fascinating, but I don't understand." Buffy said as she sat up in her seat.  
  
"Well in a normal day," Willow explained as she sat back down, "there's so much going on that you end up ignoring most of that things that pass you by. With this spell though, it amplifies the emotions and feeling resonating from the people around you as well so you can get a better understand of what they're feeling."  
  
"So what, one of us goes back to last night and go through it again to pick up on and weird feeling that might be floating around?" Buffy asked.  
  
"And get a clearer picture of what was going on at that moment." Willow clarified.  
  
"Can you do this spell Willow?" Giles asked.  
  
"Yep, I'm almost definite that I can do this."   
  
"Good." Giles said, "In which case I'd suggest that Buffy do this as she was first to find Cordelia."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"So? What are you doing here?" Angel asked again.  
  
He hadn't moved from where he stood and his eyes were locked intently on the other person who was now circling the room and singing loudly.  
  
"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles, and warm woollen mittens. Brown paper packages, tied up with strings .."  
  
  
  
"DRUSILLA!" Angel barked loudly, making her stop in her tracks.  
  
" .. These are a few of my favourite things. Don't shout, you know it's rude manners to shout daddy." Drusilla spoke as she stopped in front of him. "hmm everything's falling nicely tonight."  
  
"What is?" Angel asked.  
  
"No, no," Drusilla said wagging a finger, "not telling you, now that you're all soul having again. Besides you're going to find out very soon enough."  
  
"So what if I killed you right now." Angel suddenly said. "Maybe this thing won't come to pass."   
  
"But you won't," Drusilla said. "You can't kill me, because, just maybe you would have done it before now."  
  
"There's always a first," Angel snarled taking a step forward.  
  
"Now, now," Drusilla replied taking a step back. "I know you've been avoiding the Slayer and her friends since the night you were cursed again, but if I were you I'd be going out of my way to make sure they were well protected."  
  
"Why?" Angel asked. "Is something happening that I don't know about?"  
  
"Perhaps," she simply answered. "In any case I'd make it my business to see what's exactly going on."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"So what happens next?" Buffy asked as she sat cross-legged on the table.  
  
"Just relax," Willow said as she finished lighting a set of candles that were placed around the Slayer. "If all goes well, this will just take a moment. Now, I want you to drink this for me, then we can begin."  
  
"What is it?" Buffy asked as she took a glass that was filled with a pale pink liquid.  
  
"A little mixture just to slow down the old Slayer metabolism and get you to relax," Willow replied.  
  
Buffy put the glass to her nose and sniffed the mixture. "It smells a little like cherry soda."  
  
"Yep," Willow said, "for the taste. Now drink."  
  
Buffy smiled at her friend as she took the glass and began drinking the liquid as Willow reached out to Giles who handed her an open book.  
  
Willow smiled briefly at Giles before reading, "Guardians of Darkness I beckon thee, Keepers of the Sacred Time I implore."  
  
As Willow recited the spell, the candles around Buffy suddenly flared up and blue flame blew high from the candle which made both Willow and Giles recoil slightly.  
  
"I call upon thee to send the Slayer back through her time and relive her events from twenty-two hours previous. Send her back, now!"  
  
Both the candles and the lights in the Library flickered out for a moment then came back to life again.  
  
"The spell is done." Giles said. "Very well done indeed Willow."  
  
Willow looked down and then a slight murmur passed her lips.  
  
"Is there anything amiss Willow?" Giles asked walking over to her.  
  
"Well," Willow replied. "Last night, both Buffy's were there. Would this spell be able to differentiate between the two?"  
  
Giles stopped in front of her and knotted his brow in thought. "You know, I honestly never thought of that."  
  
With their thoughts trained on the moment, neither one of them noticed the pair of eyes gleering through the Library window at them.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The Buffy double for all this time had decided to take a little time out and take a slow wonder through the deserted hallways of the school. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around Buffy, Giles and Willow, it's just that cause she really didn't know what was going on in there she decided to have a little time just for herself.  
  
In a way she's a little happy that they haven't had the time to perform the spell to re-merge her with her other self, it gave her a chance to compare her lives. One of a Slayer and protector or the planet, and the other as plain old Buffy Summers of Los Angeles, and those lives were very different indeed.  
  
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the sound of something being kicked along the other end of the corridor. She spin around quickly looking for whoever was there but she couldn't see anybody.  
  
"Oh rat," the Buffy double muttered. "I should have stayed in the Library."  
  
~~~~~ Part 5 ~~~~~  
  
The Buffy double started to get anxious. She suspected that trouble was nearby and she wasn't trained to defend herself from it. Instinctively she double-backed on herself and made a quick walk back to the Library to where she at least hoped it was safer.  
  
She turned a corner just as a dark figure was coming the other way which gave her the fright of her life and fell backwards.  
  
"Buff!" a raised voice suddenly called. "Please don't do that, y'a scared the heck outta me."  
  
"Xander?" the Buffy double said from her new position on the floor.  
  
"Yeah," he said taking a couple steps forward. "I guessed you were still here so I thought I'd stop by."  
  
Smiling and half giggling, the Buffy double stood back on here feet and glared at Xander.  
  
"You know, for a moment I thought you might have been a vampire."  
  
"Well don't be too safe." Xander said in a slightly lower tone. "There's a small cadre of vamps around the back of the building. I saw them on my way in."  
  
"Well we've gotta warn the others." Buffy quickly said.  
  
"Don't worry, Oz is on it, but quick we've gotta get out of here."  
  
Xander took Buffy's hand and they made their way further into the school.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"This is freakier than I thought," Buffy muttered to herself.  
  
The music was playing and the crowd was jumping, but the thing that the Slayer couldn't understand was that she was standing in front of both herself and the Buffy double.  
  
"Wasn't I supposed to be one of these?" Buffy asked herself as she looked at them both.  
  
The spell had worked and Buffy was re-living the events of the previous night, but it seemed that the spell had taken a slightly different turn and made Buffy a person which could neither be seen or heard, which she was more than happy with.  
  
Buffy looked around for the moment, but through the mass of bodies couldn't really see much so she took the staircase to the upper level to get a better look. As she reached the top she walked a short way as she catches sight of a tall man lighting a cigarette. She was about to make a comment before she was cut in by another female.  
  
"Hey good looking," she called walking towards the figure.  
  
The figure looked sideways as a tall slender brunette approached and smiled.  
  
"You got one of them matches spare?" she asked holding a cigarette in her hand.  
  
Buffy looked on in silence as she got the light that she wanted, then smiled and walked off. Buffy shook her head and took a couple more steps forward.  
  
"Larry," she moaned, "quit smoking."  
  
Buffy looked over the railing to the crowd below and sighed. "I don't even know what I'm looking out for."  
  
She looked down again and over to the bathroom doors, she wasn't going to get any form of head's up as to what was going to happen so she decided the best course was to simply loiter near the bathroom to see who goes in and out. She turned her back on Larry and so didn't see him take a few steps forward and straight through where she was standing.  
  
She felt every nerve tingle throughout her body and her senses were alive for that moment, then everything was back to normal.  
  
"Freaky," Buffy said straightening herself out again before heading to the stairs.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Drusilla sat, almost impatiently in one of the many abandoned warehouses that dotted throughout the town, her little visit to Angel had gone without a hitch and everything was on course from her point of view. The impatience was because she didn't know bout the rest of the plan.  
  
"Oh where have you gotten to," Drusilla mumbled as she picked up Miss Edith.  
  
"I'm here," a voice echoed through the open space.  
  
"Where have you been?" Drusilla said standing to her feet.  
  
"Sorry," the figure replied.  
  
"Sorry?" Drusilla repeated.  
  
The figure pulled out a box of matches and lit one, then lighting a cigarette in it's mouth tossed the used match aside. "Yeah, sorry, had to make sure things were in place remember."  
  
"Yeah, well, I can feel it in the air I can," Drusilla said as she started moving around the room. "Magic in the air there is tonight. Buffy is using the spell you said she would, you'll be found out. We'll be found out."  
  
"Relax. We needed her to do this so we can claim the one thing she could never share with us."  
  
"Oh?" Drusilla wondered, her interest now piqued.  
  
"Sure, we use this magic against her and take the skills necessary to be a Slayer."  
  
Drusilla pondered over the plan for a few moments before a wicked grin spread across her lips and a loud laugh began ringing through the warehouse.  
  
"That is just perfection my dear," she squealed with delight.  
  
~~~~~  
  
'Buffy in trouble, Buffy needing help', that was all that ran through Angel's head as he raced head-long through streets of Sunnydale. Despite spending plenty of time reflecting on past events as Angelus and brooding about it, he was also torn about wanting to be by her side, fighting and protecting her both at the same time.  
  
He reached the green opposite the High School and then he noticed them, bout nine vampires on the lawn and approaching the entrance of the school. He needed a way in and quickly.  
  
"The Library," Angel muttered. "I can get in through the back."  
  
Before thinking, he was off hoping to keep the element of surprise.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Giles stood gazing at the still form of his Slayer, Buffy Summer. Her expressionless face, the healthy colour in her cheeks, and the slight curve at the edge of her lips. Giles closed his eyes for a moment and re-called the very first time he met Buffy and smiled as he remembered taking her under his wing and taught her to become one of the finest Slayers he has had the privilege to know.   
  
"Hey Giles," Willow whispered with a slight giggle in her voice, "she's not a statue you know"  
  
Giles shifted his gaze slightly towards Willow and a smile came across his lips. "No, I know. I was just wondering what Buffy was experiencing at this moment in time that's all."  
  
"Giles," Willow said as she moved across the Library floor, "this maybe a personal question, but how many Slayers have you taken change of since you've been a Wather?"  
  
Giles cleared this throat and sat down at a nearby chair. Taking off his glasses and cleaning them, he looked at Willow with a blank expression.  
  
"Buffy," Giles began. "Buffy is my fourth Slayer since my employment as a Watcher, and by all accounts, the most unique person I have had the pleasure of knowing."  
  
Willow was about to say something else when the Library doors swung open. They both looked back to see who walked in.  
  
"Oz," Willow smiled brightly, "I'd hope you'd arrive."  
  
"Yeah, sorry I'm late." Oz said as Willow enveloped him in a hug.  
  
"Where's Xander and Buffy, err, I mean her double?" Giles asked.  
  
"Well that's why I'm late," Oz answered. "I stopped off at Xander's place but neither he or Buffy's double was around. I thought they got bored and decided to get here early."  
  
"No," Willow said looking into her boyfriend's eyes, "they've not been here all night."  
  
"I wonder where they could have gotten to?" Giles pondered.  
  
"I'm a little worried," Willow said as she threw a glaze around the Library.  
  
At that moment one of the windows exploded in fragments and all three covered their eyes and faces to protect themselves. They looked back at the windowless frame as two Vampires leapt through and growled at the sight before them.  
  
"Your worries are well advised Willow," Giles almost yelped as he made a hurried bee-line towards the weapons cabinet and opened it as quickly as he could.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Buffy was getting more and more accustomed of her new circumstances as she calmly strolled through the packed floor of the Bronze with nobody bothering her in the slightest, although she couldn't say the same about the thoughts she was hearing. Part of the spell's effect was to enhance her surroundings, which included, in this case, mind reading abilities. Buffy stopped off at the bar area and scouted the area once again for any suspicious activity. Nothing out of the ordinary, though she did notice herself making a quick bee-line towards the fire exit at the back of the club, which meant the murder will take place at any time.  
  
Buffy took a few quick steps forward, straight through the drink carrying Oz. The view of her surroundings shimmered for a moment and she felt goose bumps, then everything returned back to the norm.  
  
"That's way too freaky," Buffy mumbled to herself as she turned back and strolled quickly to the ladies restroom.  
  
Her now even heightened hearing heard muffled screaming from the bathroom and Buffy swore knowing she had to pick up the pace now. She started to jog fast, the door to the restrooms just around a corner and as she ran she didn't realise she ran straight through Xander who was walking in the opposite direction. As she passed through the other side, Xander stopped for a moment and ran his hands down the front of his shirt flattening the cloth against his skin ever so slowly.   
  
It was also at that time, Buffy stopped in her tracks before she reached the corner. A thought passed through her mind .. A disturbing thought which made her head back the way she came from.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The sharp edge of a samurai sword sliced effortlessly though the neck of a Vampire which reduced it to a solid statue of dust before crumbling a heart beat later. Willow, Oz and Giles was fighting the small group of Vamps, both to protect themselves but also to protect Buffy who was still in the state of catatonia from the spell.  
  
Giles looked back to Oz and Willow only to be greeted by the sight of a Vamp leaping towards him, throwing the Librarian back and pinning him against the framework the contained the weapons locker.  
  
"A little assistance, please," Giles coughed at the Vampire gripped Giles by the neck with both hands.  
  
"We would if we could," Willow replied.  
  
Giles managed a glance and saw another Vampire struggling with Oz while Willow was bearing down on him from behind with a stake.  
  
"Oh dear," Giles mumbled as two more entered through the Library entrance.  
  
An eternity seemed to pass, but it was mere seconds before the Vampire that had Giles exploded into hot ash and crumbled to his feet. Regaining his composure, Giles looked around for sight of the person who saved his life only to see Angel jump through the smashed window pane armed with two crossbows.  
  
"Thank God," Giles mumbled with a small smile on his lips.  
  
"Giles!" Willow screamed from the floor.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Can I get least get a glass of water here," Cordelia hollered, "I'm dying of thirst!"  
  
"Here," a Police officer replied appearing from nowhere. "Hopefully this'll keep that pretty mouth of yours quiet."  
  
"Not forever." Cordelia commented as she took the glass and took a sip. "Is this tap water," she suddenly yelled. "I specifically asked for chilled bottle water, not stuffed that came from lime-scale filled pipe-work buddy."  
  
Cordelia sighed and sat on the edge of the bed looking up at the barred up window. Her imprisonment in the Sunnydale PD had been, up to now, as tolerable as it could be. The main thing that annoyed her the most was that her so-called loving parents hadn't even bothered visiting her or seeing if she was okay. The way she saw it was that, seeing her father was currently being investigated by the Inland Revenue Service for possible tax fraud they wanted to get as little trouble as possible .. and Cordelia Chase was just a little too much trouble for them at this moment in time.  
  
She put her glass on the floor and sank her head in her hands. The past twenty four hours had definitely been too much for her, and also she wanted right now was her nice comfortable bed in her room curled up next to her Xander Harris.  
  
The sound of chattering made her raise her head from her hands to listen. The voices were familiar. She smiled a little as she stood up and walked over to the door of her cell to see if she could get a glimpse of the people talking.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The last of the Vampire's turned to dust as Willow got up from her position on the floor. Everyone looked around at each other making sure they were still okay before breathing a sigh of relief.  
  
"That was intense," Oz murmured as he walked over to Willow and gave a hug.  
  
"Thanks for your help Angel," Willow said smiling at the Vampire, who smiled back at her.  
  
"Yes indeed," Giles added, "thank you for your help, but I was curious as to what you were doing this way."  
  
"Sunnydale's a small town," Angel replied looking at the Watcher, "besides I was tipped off that something was going to happen."  
  
"Oh, by whom?" Giles asked as he sat down at the nearest chair.  
  
"Drusilla." Angel simply said as he glanced at Buffy.  
  
"Oh," Willow said, "Buffy's under a spell. She's gone back to her previous twenty four hours to see if she can see anything she missed the first time."  
  
"Interesting." Angel muttered softly looking at her soft skin and peaceful expression. "But, why?"  
  
"Well," Giles answered, "It seems that our Cordelia may, or may not be implicated in a murder of a youth at the Bronze last night. Buffy has gone back there to see who might have done it."  
  
"But," Angel murmured, almost to himself. "What if, the person involved is skilled in magic and realises Buffy's presence."  
  
There was a hushed silence as Giles, Willow and Oz looked at each other then back to Angel and Buffy.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Everything is so perfect," Drusilla sung happily as she danced around a large cavern room underneath the streets of Sunnydale. "I never thought that things would go so smoothly, and so deliciously."  
  
The acrid smell of a match could be smelt from behind Drusilla as a figure walked towards her lighting a cigarette.  
  
"It's not over yet hon," the heavy British accent drifted around the room.  
  
Drusilla stopped and smiled as she looked over her shoulder. "Oh but it is, my Spike. The tables have been turned, the stage has been set, and they'll be a new Chosen One running this little town."  
  
"You've not forgotten about the Slayer and her cohort of medalling friends have you?" Spike asked as he stopped in front of Dru.  
  
Drusilla giggle loudly as she reached out and lightly brushed Spike's cheek. "My baby, there's nothing anybody can do. Not the Slayer's friends and not even the Slayer." Drusilla laughed loudly and threw her head backwards towards the roof. "Tonight history will be re-written and only the people who need to know, will know. Destinies have been re-set and events have been altered, well to a small degree anyway, but enough to secure Sunnydale and it's Hellmouth."  
  
This time it was Spike's turn to laugh loudly as he watched Drusilla with glee. "Well, let the games commence."   
  
~~~~~  
  
"Giles, how long has it been now?" Willow asked the Librarian as he walked around the Library in silence.  
  
Giles looked at Willow and then down towards his wrist watch. "Almost twenty minutes already, Buffy should have found something out long before now. Willow, I think you better perform the counter spell and revive Buffy."  
  
Willow walked down from the back stacks where she was standing towards the still form of Buffy.  
  
"Guys," Oz said looking back from the broken window, "I can't help but to wonder where the Buffy double has gone?"  
  
Giles looked a little flustered at that comment. All the while they were at the Library, they never gave the Buffy double a second thought until just then. Giles lowered his gaze to the floor and rubbed his forehead momentarily before replying. "It seems that the Buffy double is in no real danger at the moment. We'll go looking for her after we break this spell."  
  
"What do you mean, Buffy double?" Angel asked, not realising what has been happening.  
  
"Well," Giles stuttered, "it story isn't an issue at the moment, I'll inform you later on Angel."  
  
"We'll it seems that Willow is making an issue of this Buffy double." Angel said show a little sign of agitation. "Why is she so important?"  
  
Willow hopped cross legged on the table facing Buffy, the large book in her hand ready to perform the counter spell. She threw a glance at Giles and nodded slightly. "Giles I think it's fair he should know, maybe he can go out now."  
  
Giles breathed heavily looking at Willow and then at Angel. She was right, Giles knew it, and even know he help save them against the Vampire attack, he still had a couple reservations about the Vampire.  
  
"Very well," he simply replied. He crossed the floor and stood nearby to Willow, then he removed his glasses and gave the lenses a wipe before answering. "This Buffy double was created through an incantation that Buffy accidentally read aloud. It split Buffy into two personas, one with a background and heart of a pure slayer, the one sitting in this very room. The other profoundly skilled scholastically and well educated, but however, has absolutely no Slaying abilities or knowing or Slaying or being a Slayer. These two Buffy's exist because of each other, they were never meant to be apart. Which means .."  
  
"Which means," Angel interjected, "you kill one Buffy and the other one also dies?"  
  
There was no answer from the Watcher.  
  
"So, isn't joining the Buffy's together a priority?" Angel almost burst out with fury.  
  
"It's not that easy Angel," Willow calmly answered, "both Buffy's need to be in the same room for the spell to succeed."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"You!" Buffy's comment was nothing more than a hushed tone. "It was you all along wasn't it? Your mind is full of the images as you killed that person in the toilets. Why?"  
  
The person standing opposite just stood there in silence, not answering Buffy's question.  
  
"Why Xander!" Buffy blurted out in anger.  
  
Xander stood in front of Buffy with a smile on his face, a small chuckle coming from his throat. "Simple." Xander finally answered. "She was expendable. Like everybody else in this backwater town. Just like you."  
  
"You're not a Vampire," Buffy commented with confusion in her voice, "so what in the hell are you?"  
  
"Well at the risk of sounding like a Hollywood cliché, Slayer. You remember that movie, hmm Blade? With, what was his name?"  
  
"Wesley Snipes." Buffy answered.  
  
"Yeah that's the one," Xander exclaimed pointing a finger at Buffy. "Yeah well I've kinda got his deal. I got the Vamp strengths and I can strut my stuff around during the day without having to carry a fire extinguisher with me."  
  
"Who done this?" Buffy asked suddenly concerned. "When?"  
  
"Hmm the who's and when's are long passed Slayer, and if you haven't guessed already, so has your friend Xander. The only question is what happens now?"  
  
"Well," Buffy stated a little cockily, "Even if you can touch me, you can't kill me as I'm not really here. I was brought here through magic."  
  
"Please, you think I want to attack and bite you? That is so passé. Nope, this Zeppo has learnt a few tricks as well, wanna see?"   
  
Buffy looked to either side and edged back slightly. "Look, whoever you are, Willow's gonna break this spell I'm under any moment now, I can feel it. And when that happens I'm going after and beat that demon outta Xander's body!"  
  
"That's not going to happen now." Xander said with an malicious smile. He raised his arms up beside his body, and as he did, faint crackles of blue electricity began to spark and spit around him.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Giles, Oz and Angel stood in baited silence as Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"Guardians of Darkness I beckon thee, Keepers of the Sacred Time I implore. I command thee to break what once you evoked. Bring the essence of the one back to the present, back to the moment so she may walk amongst us once again. Guardians of the Darkness, I command. Now!"  
  
As before the candles that were situated around Buffy flared up with a brilliant blue flame, and as the spell was complete the room was hushed into blackness for a few moments before the lights came back on again.  
  
"Buffy?" Giles muttered.  
  
The three guys held their breath waiting for a response. Willow being the closest looked intently at the face of her friend, her eyebrows slightly knotted together.  
  
"It." Willow said after a few moments, "It didn't work."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"It's working." Drusilla screeched with glee.  
  
"Yes," Spike commented in his usual voice. "Very exciting, what is it doing?"  
  
Both Drusilla and Spike were standing in front of a large stone plinth upon which stood a large glowing orb and around it there were sparks of blue electricity appearing as if from nowhere.  
  
"It's happening. Both Slayers are in place and time is being re-written to our desires."  
  
"How much longer?" Spike asked looking at the orb.  
  
"Not much longer." Drusilla beamed clapping her hands together.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"So what now?" An infuriated Buffy asked Xander. "I can't hurt you, hell I can't even touch anything, but I can sure as hell run away."  
  
"Wrong Slayer." Xander replied smirking, "cause I can catch you wherever you may be." A wicked grin formed itself on Xander's face and chuckled. "Ask yourself, has there ever been a time you wished you weren't the Slayer? That you wished somebody else did the dirty work while you enjoyed your child hood?"  
  
"It's not just a responsibility," Buffy replied, "It's a destiny. My destiny, and I wouldn't trade it in for a moment."  
  
"Well it's a shame, not everybody sees it the same way as you. You've become too much of a threat to the underworld community and drastic times call for drastic measures." Xander, still with his hands at either side of his body brought then together fast and sharp. "And now, you're nothing but history."  
  
Buffy's eyes went wide and that moment chose to run. She span hard on her heels and headed towards the back wall of the club, regardless of whom she may be running through at that moment. The arc's of electricity that had been dancing and spiralling around Xander suddenly shot and pulsated along both of his arms and out of his fingers directly aimed at the Slayer.  
  
She couldn't out run it, she knew that, it was just a reflex action bought upon fear. All she could do was wait until it struck her body and did what it was intended to do. The shaft of electricity struck Buffy square in the centre of her back. Every muscle in Buffy's back suddenly went taught and she screamed with unbearable agony as the electricity shot up and down her spine and across every inch of her skin and deep within her brain.  
  
"It will soon be over," Xander mumbled to himself. "Soon."  
  
Buffy's hands were clenched tightly, her nails gigging into the palms of her hands making bloody slowly drip down to the floor. She gritted her teeth as the electricity continued to course through her body, and at the very moment she thought her head was literally going to explode, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed to the floor. 


End file.
